Kiwanis San Diego News

Meeting – Fire-Rescue Chief Robert Logan & Guests

Angelique Schumacher — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 19:15:20 GMT

President Gordon Boerner called the January Kiwanis Club of San Diego monthly luncheon to order on January 13, 2026 at the Westgate Hotel, welcoming members, guests, and community leaders for an informative and impactful start to the new year.

We were honored to host San Diego Fire-Rescue Chief Robert Logan as our featured guest speaker, joined by members of his outstanding leadership team, including Assistant Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Hypes and Deputy Chief/Fire Marshal Tony Tosca. Together, they delivered a compelling presentation focused on Zone Zero and the vital work of the Community Risk Reduction Division (CRRD).

Chief Logan and his team provided valuable insight into the behind-the-scenes efforts that help protect lives, property, and resources throughout San Diego. Their discussion highlighted how proactive planning, prevention strategies, and community collaboration play a critical role in reducing risk and preventing tragedies before they occur. Members gained a deeper appreciation for the scope and importance of CRRD’s work and the leadership guiding these initiatives.

We were also pleased to welcome Councilman Stephen Whitburn, whose presence underscored the strong partnership between city leadership and public safety professionals. Members expressed appreciation for his continued dedication to strengthening the San Diego community.

Chief Logan, a native San Diegan, shared elements of his personal journey—from growing up near Fire Station 12 in Lincoln Park to serving in nearly every rank within the department before becoming the City of San Diego’s 19th Fire Chief. His commitment to transparency, equity, and community engagement resonated strongly with those in attendance.

President Boerner closed the meeting by extending sincere thanks to Chief Logan, Assistant Deputy Fire Marshal Hypes, Deputy Chief Tosca, Councilman Whitburn, and the entire San Diego Fire-Rescue team for their service, leadership, and generosity in sharing their time and expertise with Kiwanis San Diego. Members left the luncheon informed, inspired, and grateful for the dedicated professionals who work every day to keep our city safe.

Meeting – Tony Gwynn Jr., Padres Broadcaster & Community Advocate

Angelique Schumacher — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:30:00 GMT

President Gordon Boerner called the December Kiwanis San Diego monthly meeting to order on December 9, 2029 at the Westgate Hotel, welcoming members, guests, and special visitors for a memorable and inspiring luncheon.

The program began with a heartfelt introduction of our guest speaker, Tony Gwynn Jr., delivered by longtime Kiwanis member and friend of Tony’s, Jay Jeffcoat, who also served as Kiwanian of the Day. Jay’s personal reflections set a meaningful tone for the meeting and highlighted Tony’s deep roots in San Diego and his longstanding commitment to community service.

We were pleased to welcome guests from the American Lung Association (ALA), including Dr. Michael Welch, Tony’s childhood asthma and respiratory physician. Their presence underscored Tony’s ongoing advocacy for lung health and his service as a member of the ALA Board.

Tony Gwynn Jr., former Major League Baseball player and current San Diego Padres TV and radio broadcaster, shared personal stories from his eight-year MLB career with the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. He reflected on lessons learned both on and off the field, his transition into broadcasting, and the lasting influence of his father, Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn Sr. Tony’s message of perseverance, humility, and honoring one’s roots resonated deeply with those in attendance.

During the meeting, the Kiwanis Foundation Grant awarded to Just in Time for Foster Youth was highlighted, with a special focus on the organization’s My First Home initiative, “From Moving In to Living Well.” guide with a Kiwanis full-page feature in the guide. Members learned how this grant supports foster youth as they transition into independent living and build stability and confidence in their new homes.

Following Tony’s remarks, members were introduced to the Batting 500 Club, with three members already signing up on the spot. Information was also shared about the upcoming American Lung Association Pickleball Tournament and Gala, including an opportunity for members to participate through auction and bidding.

The Bill’s Bucks portion of the meeting reflected the inspiration in the room, with several members contributing in appreciation of Tony’s message and the meaningful connections shared during the program.

President Boerner closed the meeting by thanking Tony Gwynn Jr., Jay Jeffcoat, our ALA guests, and all who attended for making the December meeting a truly special one, and encouraged continued involvement in upcoming events and service initiatives.

Meeting – Betsy Brennan, President & CEO, Downtown San Diego Partnership

Angelique Schumacher — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 18:56:39 GMT

President Gordon Boerner called the November Kiwanis San Diego monthly meeting to order on November 18, 2025 at the Westgate Hotel, welcoming members and guests to another engaging luncheon at our new downtown location.

Following the Pledge of Allegiance and opening remarks, attendees enjoyed a compelling program featuring Betsy Brennan, President & CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership. Betsy shared insights into her leadership journey and the important work of the Partnership, which serves more than 300 stakeholders and oversees initiatives that support economic prosperity, cultural vitality, and the safety and cleanliness of 275 blocks in Downtown San Diego.

Betsy spoke about leading a team of over 100 staff members and highlighted the organization’s advocacy efforts, membership services, and strategies to promote Downtown as a hub for business, investment, and community life. Drawing on her experience with the City of San Diego, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions, she emphasized the importance of collaboration and long-term vision in urban development.

Members were especially interested to hear Betsy’s perspective on the future of Downtown San Diego, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing urban centers today. Her remarks sparked thoughtful discussion and questions from the audience. Betsy’s dedication to community impact has earned widespread recognition, including being named CEO of the Year by the San Diego Business Journal in 2022.

During the Bill’s Bucks portion of the meeting, members shared celebrations and acknowledgments, adding to the spirit of fellowship that defines Kiwanis San Diego.

President Boerner closed the meeting by thanking Betsy Brennan for an informative and inspiring presentation and expressed appreciation to all who attended. Members were encouraged to stay engaged and participate in upcoming meetings and service projects.

Meeting - San Diego State University's Coach Dutcher

Angelique Schumacher — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:47:24 GMT

President Gordon Boerner rang the bell to begin our October luncheon meeting on October 15, 2025 at the Westgate Hotel, marking another fantastic gathering for Kiwanis San Diego.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, members and guests were welcomed to what proved to be an inspiring and informative program featuring Coach Brian Dutcher, Head Coach of the San Diego State University men’s basketball team. Coach Dutcher shared the story of his remarkable journey in collegiate basketball—from his early days at South Dakota State and key years at the University of Michigan, to his leadership of the Aztecs since 2017.

Coach Dutcher highlighted the program’s successes under his guidance, including an impressive winning record, multiple Mountain West Conference titles, and four appearances in March Madness, capped by the unforgettable run to the 2023 NCAA National Championship Game in Houston. His reflections on teamwork, resilience, and leadership resonated deeply with our members and prompted thoughtful questions from the audience.

During the Bill’s Bucks segment, attendees celebrated member milestones and club achievements, expressing appreciation for the opportunity to come together in fellowship and service.

We are grateful to Coach Dutcher for sharing his insights and experiences, and to everyone who joined us at our new downtown location. President Boerner closed the meeting by thanking attendees and encouraging continued engagement in upcoming service projects and events.

Meeting - Scholarship Recipient Lunch & Panel Discussion

Angelique Schumacher — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 18:00:18 GMT

President Justin Frisco rang the bell to begin our luncheon, welcoming members and guests to a truly heartwarming Scholarship Meeting.

We were joined by Scholarship Chair Brittany Curran, who introduced seven of this year’s outstanding scholarship recipients.

Lashae Braxton
Marisa McCrobie
Salvador Villarreal
Jennifer Forsyth
Aya Morgan
Asia Ong
Brayden Pape

Representing:
Point Loma Nazarene University, UC San Diego, and University of San Diego

Brittany led a thoughtful panel discussion, giving each student the opportunity to share their story, their goals, and how the Kiwanis scholarship is supporting their educational journey.

The afternoon was filled with inspiration as students reflected on the challenges they’ve overcome and the dreams they are now pursuing. One recipient shared:

“This scholarship will make it so much easier to pay for tuition, focus on school, and not feel like a burden on my family — or have to rush to work right after class just to pay for things. Even after tuition, there are so many other costs.”

Their gratitude and determination reminded us all why investing in youth is at the heart of Kiwanis service.

A special thank-you to Brittany Curran for her leadership and dedication in managing the Scholarship Program — her work continues to change lives.

After the panel, We also celebrated August birthdays, including

• Brittany Curran
• Angelique Schumacher

Kiwanis San Diego Notice of Annual Meeting - September 16, 2025

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 17:58:15 GMT

Kiwanis San Diego Notice of Annual Meeting

This Annual Meeting will include the Election of 2025/2026 Club Officer and the Class of 2027 Club Board of Directors.

Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Time: Noon, or as soon thereafter as the meeting is called to order

Location: Westgate Hotel

Posted: August 1, 2025

By: Karina Sousa, Club Secretary

Annual Meeting of the General Membership of the

Kiwanis San Diego

September 16, 2025

Agenda

I. CALL TO ORDER/DETERMINATION THAT A QUORUM IS PRESENT

II. APPROVAL OF ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 7, 2025

III. ELECTION OF 2025/2026 CLUB OFFICERS AND THE CLASS OF 2027 CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gordon Boerner, President
Justin Frisco, Immediate Past President
Amber Bertelsen, Vice President
Karina Sousa, Club Secretary
Brian Krause, Club Treasurer

2025: Tom Bauer, Lauren Cook
2026: Ryan Callan, Wendy Reuben
2027: Glen Honig, Brittany Curran

IV. ADJOURNMENT

Meeting - Dr. Aaron Elkins and the current world of Artificial Intelligence

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 19:00:00 GMT

Board VP/Incoming President Gordon Boerner rang the bell to begin our Lunch & Learn meeting on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, held at Elijah’s Restaurant.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, we welcomed special guests from Sorrento Valley Self Storage:

Dave Haller
Ana Rodriguez
Jennifer Valarezo

The trio generously presented the Kiwanis Club of San Diego with a $1,000 donation in support of our mission. We are grateful for their ongoing commitment to community service!

Following the presentation, we proudly welcomed Angelique Schumacher, Marketing & Communications Specialist, to the club. Angelique introduced herself and shared her impactful background working alongside Joe Sigurdson at Boys to Men Mentoring, where they raised millions of dollars for youth empowerment initiatives. We’re thrilled to have her passion and experience on board!

We then introduced our guest speaker, Dr. Aaron Elkins, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems at San Diego State University and Director of the James Silberrad Artificial Intelligence Lab. Dr. Elkins shared fascinating insights on how artificial intelligence is being applied in areas like security, deception detection, and even elder care. His presentation sparked thoughtful questions and great interest from members eager to learn more about AI’s evolving role in our world.

Membership Chair Wendy Reuben gave updates on current membership efforts. She welcomed our new members and guests, presenting each with a name tag and encouraging everyone to stay connected and involved.

During the Bill’s Bucks segment, members donated in celebration of:

Five Padres players making the All-Star team
Personal milestones and recent joys
Continued gratitude for being part of such a dynamic and giving club

As always, our meeting was filled with fellowship, purpose, and a shared commitment to making a difference.

Board VP/Incoming President Boerner closed the meeting by thanking everyone for their contributions and enthusiasm—and reminded us to sign up for upcoming service events and projects.

Meeting - High School Scholar Celebration

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 16:29:01 GMT

President Justin Frisco rang the bell to begin the High School Scholar Celebration on April 15, 2025.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, we welcomed guests:

Staci Reidinger, friend of Jim Floros
Yuridia, sister of honored Key Club student
Dr. Jerry Rey, Key Club Advisor at St. Augustine High School
Harrison Trubitt, Key Club advisor at Academy of Our Lady of Peace
Lily Nock, Key Club Lt. Governor
Jenny Serban, ASB Advisor at Steele Canyon High School

Then Scholarship Chair Brittany Curran led the panel to our high school honorees:

Dylan Masis Thomas, Laurels for Leaders Scholarship Recipient
Aaron Benjamin Arellano Valle, Key Club at San Diego High School
Mattie Gosling, Key Club at St. Augustine High School
Tommy Battaglia, Key Club at St. Augustine High School
Any Nguyen, Key Club at Academy of Our Lady of Peace
Eliana Daood, Key Club at Academy of Our Lady of Peace

Membership Chair Wendy Reuben encouraged everyone attending the Padres game to see the Kiwanis San Diego booth.

We celebrated these April birthdays

April 2, Michaelene Abbott-Cooper
April 18, Doug Frost
April 23, Steve Morris
April 25, Shaun McArdle

Members made donations of Bill's Bucks in honor of:

Jim Floros, Padres undefeated at home
Tom Bauer, happy to be in attendance
Joe Sigurdson, successful Rooted in Resilience event
Wendy Reuben, in honor of two prospective members in attendance Chris Sirkis and Bob Morris
Bob Morris, inspired by the honorees
Glen Honig, celebrating service
Karina Sousa, love that the Club/Foundation is able to support deserving students
Gordon Boerner, enjoyed meeting guest Yuridia plus honored to have Lily Nock in attendance and congrats to employee Judith Eisenberg on finishing her Master's degree in Nonprofit Leadership

After recapping past events and looking forward to future ones, President Frisco rang the bell to conclude the meeting.

Meeting - Dr. Kwane Stewart, Project Street Vet & Portfolio Update from Callan Capital

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 17:57:41 GMT

President Justin Frisco rang the bell to open the March 18, 2025 luncheon meeting.

After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, guests were introduced including:

Matthew Pohl, Kiwanis Club of Imperial Beach
Leslie O'Leary, mother of Claire LeBeau, Foundation President
Joe Pisano
Harriet Wolpoff
Sandy Robertson
Mary O'Tousa
Sue Cohn
Anita McKee
Denise and Chris Davidson
Linda Cipriani
Elaine Eisenberg
Kelly Riseley

Next, Emily Moberly introduced our speaker, Dr. Kwane Stewart. Dr. Stewart is the founder of Project Street Vet, and he spoke about providing veterinary care to the pets of the unhoused in San Diego and beyond.

Then we welcomed members Ryan Callan and Tim Callan from Callan Capital to give members a Foundation portfolio update.

Membership Chair Wendy Reuben gave an update on our recruiting efforts.

To that end, we welcomed new member Michaelene Abbott-Cooper.

We celebrated these member birthdays:

March 1 - Joe Sigurdson
March 17 - Annie Fitzgerald
March 27 - Louie Ocana

Members gave Bill's Bucks to celebrate:

Joe Sigurdson - the Boys to Men gala is coming up April 5
Wendy Reuben - had an amazing vacation
Brian Krause - looking forward to the Aztecs win and apologies for interrupting the last meeting with a phone call to President Frisco
Karina Sousa - wonderful remembrance of member Drue Jordan plus amazing service project last weekend
Lance Grob - father is in good health and an upcoming career fair at Miramar College

Linda Dao won the auction for an SDSU blanket and bobblehead.

Before ending the meeting, we viewed photos of recent events and looked ahead to what's coming.

Meeting - Glen Schmidt, FASLA

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:05:19 GMT

President Justin Frisco rang the bell to open our meeting on February 18, 2025 at Elijah's restaurant.

We said the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed guest Nate Taylor, a landscape contractor and client of President Frisco.

Then Carl Nettleton introduced our speaker Glen Schmidt, FASLA who spoke about "Saving San Diego! The Role of Landscape and Open Space in Maintaining Quality of Life."

Membership Chair Wendy Reuben gave an update about the upcoming New Member Orientation.

We inducted new member Constantine Harrison.

Club Secretary Karina Sousa gave an update about Laurels for Leaders.

We celebrated Club birthdays:

February 1 – Heather Robinson
February 5 – David Gugerty
February 9 - Amber Bertelsen
February 9 – Tim Callan
February 9 – June Frost
February 14 – Glen Honig
February 18 – Todd Miller
February 21 – Lauren Cook
February 21 – Vic Bianchini

Members generously gave Bill's Bucks:

Amber Bertelsen - to celebrate her birthday and her daughter's making the volleyball team
Gordon Boerner - kudos to Karina and Amber for a great job with Laurels this year
Claire LeBeau - forgot her pin and grateful for a wonderful speaker
Jay Jeffcoat - dog Buddy is doing well after eating a rock
Jeremy Alexander - forgot his pin and is looking forward to an amazing youth program he is organizing
Glen Honig - celebrating his birthday
Monica Ball - her daughter just turned 40 and Uplift has an amazing mentoring program just about to begin
Carl Nettleton - missing his fellow Kiwanian Drue Jordan and glad Joe Sigurdson is out of the hospital
Wendy Reuben - amazing quality of life in San Diego
Brittany Curran - spotted in the San Diego Business Journal

We remembered long-time member Drue Jordan who passed this week.

Then a recap of the last month's events and look into next month's before President Frisco rang the bell again to end the meeting.

Meeting - Doug Constantiner from Societe Brewing

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 17:37:30 GMT

President Justin Frisco kicked off our January meeting at Elijah's with the Pledge of Allegiance and welcome to guests:

Karina Sousa brought her new husband Matt
Brian Krause brought a friend and neighbor Justin

Jim Floros introduced our speaker Doug Constantiner, CEO of Societe Brewing. He spoke about forming his successful brewery, and members were interested in his words and his beer.

Membership chair Wendy Reuben gave an update on recruitment efforts.

Governor Doug Frost and First Lady June Frost spoke about the First Lady's focus on pediatric cancer research.

Karina Sousa described our new Laurels for Leaders format and encouraged support and attendance.

We celebrated January birthdays:

Will Earley - January 12
Mike Boland - January 16
Drue Jordan - January 19

Members generously donated Bill's Bucks in honor of:

Gordon Boerner was spotted in Giving Back Magazine
Wendy Reuben was spotted in Giving Back Magazine
Jim Floros was spotted in the San Diego Business Journal
Wendy Reuben was excited that she has hot water once again at home
Brian Krause was pleased with the holiday party turnout at his home and that his daughter passed her driver's exam
Karina Sousa was inspired by Kiwanis' good works to help all, especially as she has watched the tragedy of the LA fires

After a recap of past events and look forward to upcoming events, President Frisco closed the meeting.

Meeting - San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 21:24:35 GMT

President Justin Frisco opened our December meeting. We said the Pledge of Allegiance and greeted guests including Rachel Hilliard, doing an interclub from Southeastern Kiwanis.

Next, Carl Nettleton introduced our speaker, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan who spoke to us about Fentanyl and its effects in the community.

We inducted new member Will Earley.

Then we awarded Karina Sousa the “Do All Be All” Award for her many contributions to everything about our Club and Foundation.

Wendy Reuben gave an update from the Membership Team,

followed by birthday celebrations for:

Ricardo Sandoval – December 6
Constantine Harrison – December 7

Members generously donated Bill’s Bucks to commemorate:

Gordon Boerner – honored to have new member Will at the luncheon who was a Key Club President and glad to be retired to be able to spend time with his daughter
Glen Honig – his grandson is now 5 months old
Karina Sousa – been with her partner 9 years and now married

We did a quick recap of events since our last meeting, followed by a look to future events before President Frisco rang the bell to end the meeting, the last of 2024!

Scholars Luncheon - November 19, 2024

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:45:20 GMT

President Justin Frisco opened our Scholars Luncheon with the Pledge of Allegiance and a welcome to all guests.

Then Scholarship Team Chair Brittany Curran invited our scholarship recipients to a panel introducing themselves to our members. Students included:

Micah Concepcion, University of San Diego
Jose Garcia Gomez, SDSU
Kris Andra Jackson, SDSU
Rachel Lemmen, Point Loma Nazarene University
Matthew Smith, SDSU
Izabella Vasquez, UCSD

Danielle Valenciano from the San Diego Foundation talked about the partnership between our Club and their scholarship program.

Christina Piranio from San Diego Children's Discovery Museum gave us a grant update.

Membership Team Chair Wendy Reuben invited all members to bring someone to upcoming events with the goal of having them join the Club.

We inducted new-ish member Annie Fitzgerald.

We wished happy birthday to our only November birthday in absentia, Brian Krause.

Members gave Bill's Bucks in celebration of:

Gordon Boerner - forgot to invite his wife Leigh as his guest
Annie Fitzgerald - thanks for patience in her ability to get to her first meeting
Joe Sigurdson - Boys to Men just won a $100K grant for mental health education
Jim Floros - his son's Senator boss was re-elected
Martha Futterman - as Lt. Gov., she is glad to attend special occasions and wish congrats to the scholars
Carl Nettleton - had a wonderful trip to Englad where he toured Darwin's office and sat on Ted Lasso's bench
Glen Honig - glad to be at the meeting
Karina Sousa - one month married
Shaun McArdle - oldest member at the meeting
Monica Ball - birth of her sixth grandchild
Greg and Karen Bower - thank you for the Toys for Tots donations
Lance Grob - looking forward to the April fair put on by Miramar College

Gordon Boerner auctioned off a stein he brought back from his recent trip to Germany, and Micah Concepcion won it!

We recapped past events and looked forward to upcoming before President Frisco rang the bell to end the meeting.

Club Luncheon - Coach Brian Dutcher, SDSU Men's Basketball Head Coach

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 16:30:51 GMT

Newly sworn in President Justin Frisco rang the bell to start our first meeting of the Kiwanis year.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, we welcomed the many guests in the room, including a large contingent from Kiwanis of Alpine.

Jay Jeffcoat introduced our speaker Coach Brian Dutcher, SDSU Men's Basketball Head Coach. Coach Dutcher spoke about his background, his players, his staff, and his coaching philosophy. The audience was enthralled, asking many questions at the end of his presentation.

Next, Greg and Karen Bower were honored with a Distinguished Service Award for being so engaged in our volunteer activities.

We welcomed new member, Linda Dao, and presented her a Kiwanis lapel pin.

We celebrated these October birthdays:

October 1 - Gordon Boerner
October 7 - John Rush
October 9 - Sanam Charlton
October 14 - Dick Shaw
October 16 - Jay Jeffcoat
October 16 - Paul Riggs
October 19 - Monica Ball
October 21 - Linda Dao

Attendees generously donated Bill's Bucks:

Gordon Boerner - for missing the event he planned, for his birthday and for his years in the Club
Brian Krause - was wonderful to see Ryan Jeffcoat at a Padres game
Kiwanis Alpine members - great to see attend another Club's meetings
Karina Sousa - in honor of her upcoming wedding
Jay Jeffcoat - for his birthday and for his years in the Club
Claire LeBeau - grateful for today's program and our member years of support of the Campanile Foundation

After reviewing past events, the meeting ended looking forward to upcoming events.

Club Luncheon - Awards Ceremony and Member Celebration

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 16:33:29 GMT

Club President Steve Morris rang the bell to open our last meeting of his presidency. Then Club Treasurer Brian Krause and Club Secretary Karina Sousa welcomed members to the first (and last) Kiwanis Olympic Games!

They were thrilled to spot these Kiwanians in the crowd:

Eldon Thompson
Monica Ball
Lauren Cook
Heather Robinson
John Rush
Division 11 Lt. Governor Martha Futterman
Imperial Beach/South Bay Kiwanis President Steve Futterman
Southeastern Kiwanis President Nathan Brooks

Steve Morris, Vice President Justin Morris, and Jay Jeffcoat joined the MCs to get the party started and hand out some kudos!

Wendy Reuben received a Distinguished Service Award for taking on the membership team as incoming chair. She also received her 35-year Legion of Honor pin.

Glen Honig received a Distinguished Service Award for joining the Board and participating in so many service projects.

Mike Boland received a Distinguished Service Award for his leadership of the community service team and participation in so many of the service projects.

Emily Moberly received the Youth Service Award for her participation in service projects this year, alongside her adorable children.

Brittany Curran received the George F. Hixson Fellowship for her leadership of the scholarship team.

Gordon Boerner was honored with the Don McKee Spirit of Kiwanis Award for his two years of presidency of the Foundation plus his dedication to the Club. He also received a Ruby K pin because of his incredible membership recruiting efforts.

Karina Sousa was honored with a brand new perpetual award -- the Do All Be All Award -- for everything she does and is. She also received a Ruby K pin for her successful membership recruiting.

Lt Gov Martha Futterman inducted the new Club board:

President	Justin Frisco
Immediate Past President	Steve Morris
Vice President	Gordon Boerner
Club Secretary	Karina Sousa
Club Treasurer	Brian Krause
Class of 2025	Glen Honig, Lance Grob
Class of 2026	Tom Bauer, Lauren Cook
Class of 2027	Ryan Callan, Wendy Reuben

and the new Foundation board:

President	Claire LeBeau (Class of 2025)
Immediate Past President	Gordon Boerner (Class of 2027)
Vice President	Joe Sigurdson (Class of 2026)
Secretary/Treasurer	Karina Sousa (Class of 2027)
Investment Committee Chair	Chuck Day (Class of 2027)
Class of 2025	Carl Nettleton, Jay Jeffcoat
Class of 2026	Jim Floros, Brian Krause
Club Ex-Oficio	Justin Frisco
Scholarship Chair	Brittany Curran

Jay Jeffcoat received a Ruby K pin for his recruitment of so many members, many of whom were in the room.

Carl Nettleton received his 30-year Legion of Honor pin.

Cal-Nev-Ha Governor Doug Frost received his 40-year Legion of Honor pin.

Eldon Thompson belatedly received his 40-year Legion of Honor pin, earned in 2022.

Lunch ended with a thank you to Club Operations Administrator Judith Eisenberg and all of the Elijah's Restaurant crew.

Looking forward to good things in the new Kiwanis year!

Club Luncheon - San Diego Tourism Authority

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:25:39 GMT

President Steve Morris rang the bell to open the meeting. After we all recited the Pledge of Allegiance, we welcomed guests:

Matthew Pohl from the Imperial Beach Kiwanis Club
Bob Morris from the San Diego Symphony

Next member Carl Nettleton introduced our speaker, Julie Coker,

CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority.

We learned so much about why San Diego is an amazing place to live and to visit, and how the San Diego Tourism Authority markets our "bright" city!

Next we celebrated Brittany Curran's August birthday, in absentia.

Then new district Governor Doug Frost showed off the new banner he got at the convention.

Members gave Bill's Bucks in honor of their celebrations including:

Monica Ball whose daughter is having a baby
John Rush who is excited about the upcoming FDD gala
Karina Sousa who is planning the upcoming FDD gala
Shaun McArdle who welcomed everyone to tour the Maritime Museum
Gordon Boerner who was thrilled to represent the Foundation at the Habitat for Humanity event

And, a couple of members were spotted being honored in print so they were fined. Congrats to:

Sitara Setha

Jim Floros

After recapping past events and looking forward to upcoming events, President Morris rang the bell to end the meeting.

Virtual Meeting - 211 San Diego

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 16:29:59 GMT

President Steve Morris opened the virtual meeting. and we were happy to welcome 5 guests from the Tierrasanta Kiwanis Club:

Rich Orr
Peter Penczar
Rex Warburton
Dave West
Jan Whitacre

Jay Jeffcoat told us about his history in the founding of 211 San Diego, then introduced their CFO and our speaker, Paul Redfern.

Members and guests on the call were impressed to learn about the important work that 211 San Diego does for our community. They have many government and nonprofit partners and provide a myriad of services.

Next, we heard from Kristin Haywood of Nativity Prep Academy. Nativity Prep prepares low-income middle school and high school students for college success.

Just one birthday to celebrate in August, but we were pleased she was on our call. Happy birthday to Brittany Curran!

Karina Sousa pledged Bill's Bucks in recognition of the amazing service project over the weekend with Habitat for Humanity building two playhouses.

Gordon Boerner echoed those sentiments with his Bill's Bucks pledge and added that the two playhouses would be going to local military families.

After a review of events past and look forward to the excitement coming, our meeting was adjourned. If you missed it, you can catch the recap online:

Club Luncheon - San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 17:50:16 GMT

Club Secretary Karina Sousa rang the bell to open our July luncheon meeting.

After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, we welcomed guests:

Scott and Karen Tritt
Allie Cohn

Next, Wendy Reuben introduced our speaker, Georgeanne Irvine, from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

Georgeanne shared stories about her years at the zoo. She also generously donated two of the zoo's children's book publications for auction. Congratulations to winning bidder Gordon Boerner.

Zoo volunteers and Club members Wendy Reuben and Sherry Dietz were equally excited about the books and speaker.

We celebrated these July birthdays:

July 1, Jeremy Alexander
July 3, Sitara Sethi
July 20, Chuck Day
July 25, Greg Bower

and members donated Bill's Bucks in honor of:

Jeremy Alexander - birthday plus years in the Club
Doug Frost - great visit with his daughter after the Kiwanis Convention

Emily Moberly - fabulous trip to Honduras
Gordon Boerner - spotted in Giving Back magazine
Monica Ball - great time at the Zoo

After a look back to the last month's events and forward nod to what's coming, our meeting concluded.

Luncheon - Garry Bonelli

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 17:16:38 GMT

President Steve Morris rang the bell to kick off our June in-person meeting and led our recitation of the pledge of allegiance.

Next, we welcomed our guests including:

Stephen Raynor and his son, 3rd and 4th generation Kiwanians from Plano, Texas
Matthew Pohl from the IB Kiwanis Club
Friends of member Wendy Reuben
Friends of member Heather Robinson
Bob Morris from the San Diego Symphony and friend of member Jay Jeffcoat

Carl Nettleton introduced our speaker.

Speaker Garry Bonelli told us stories about his time with the Navy Seals and answered questions from the audience.

We celebrated June birthdays:

June 7 - David Jay
June 12 - Eldon Thompson
June 13 - Ryan Callan
June 18 - Justin Frisco

Members generously donated Bill's Bucks:

Doug Frost - happy to be at the meeting
Jay Jeffcoat - he is proud of his mentee through Rescue Mission; La Jolla Playhouse's own "The Outsiders" won the Tony for best musical; Jay was photographed at the grand opening of "The Ballad of Johnny and June" in Western gear; he loves the new symphony building
Matt Pohl - excited about the US Open
Stephen Raynor - happy to be visiting our club with his son
Sherry Dietz - her casita passed inspection
Bob Morris - enjoyed spending Father's Day with son and grandson
Heather Robinson - won the "on the lookout" award at work
Carl Nettleton - spent the weekend with two of his grandchildren
Gordon Boerner - honored to have 3rd and 4th generation Kiwanians at our meeting

After a quick recap of past events and look into the future, our meeting adjourned.

Virtual Luncheon - Girls Rising Above Child Exploitation

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:17:58 GMT

President Steve Morris kicked off our virtual meeting by welcoming everyone on the call.

Then Tyler Simmons from the Wave Futbol Club got us excited for the upcoming game we are attending as a Club on Friday.

Secretary Karina Sousa introduced our speaker, Alexandra Stephenson, from Girls Rising Above Child Exploitation. Alexandra told us about the amazing work her organization is doing locally.

We celebrated these June birthdays:

June 7 - David Jay
June 12 - Eldon Thompson
June 13 - Ryan Callan
June 18 - Justin Frisco

and these members generously donated Bill's Bucks:

Eldon Thompson - celebrating his birthday and many years in the Club
Karina Sousa - enjoying being engaged with bachelorette parties with friends
Gordon Boerner - recently ran into a prior Kiwanis member Jim Ledwidth
John Rush - happy he can participate on these virtual calls from his home in Arizona
Heather Robinson - enjoyed our service project last weekend

After a recap of past events and look forward to future, we concluded the meeting. If you missed it, check out the video online:

Club Luncheon - National Conflict Resolution Center

Wed, 22 May 2024 17:25:53 GMT

President Steve Morris rang the bell to begin our May 21, 2024 meeting.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, we welcomed guest:

Prospective member Cesar Felix
Prospective member Joseph Selfani
Attila Tota
Zitlau scholarship winner Patrick Loehr
Southwestern Kiwanis member for an interclub Nathan Brooks

Steven Dinkin, President of the National Conflict Resolution Center, spoke about ending the school-to-prison pipeline. Our interested crew asked many questions about this important topic.

Next, Amber Bertelsen introduced our Zitlau Scholarship winner Patrick Loehr.

We celebrated these May birthdays:

May 6 – Lance Grob
May 8 – Emily Moberly
May 12 – Karina Sousa
May 21 – Eric Wever
May 31 – Mark McDonald
May 31 – Wendy Reuben

Members and guests generously made donations:

Lauren Cook will be having surgery in June but prior to that invited everyone to an SOSL fundraiser June 8.
Monica Ball invited everyone to the Kids at Heart picnic June 8.
Gordon Boerner was pleased his wife Leigh represented him at the March for Babies service project.
Karina Sousa was glad she was able to bring Ruby to the event and also welcomed all our guests.
Monica Ball won the auction for a bobblehead.

Foundation President Gordon Boerner asked our members to also generously donate to our Foundation campaign.

Then we did a recap of past events and a look into the future before Vice President Justin Frisco rang the bell to end the meeting.

Annual Meeting + Virtual Program - Mental Health Awareness

Wed, 08 May 2024 16:45:39 GMT

President Steve Morris opened the virtual meeting by welcoming guests from the Tierrasanta Key Club:

Peter Penczar
Hani Shatila
Rex Warburton
Dave West

and a former St. Augustine Academy Key Club member Kai da Luz.

Then we held our annual meeting to approve the minutes from the August 15, 2023 prior annual meeting and elect the 2024-5 board slate:

Justin Frisco, President
Steve Morris, Immediate Past President
Gordon Boerner, Vice President
Karina Sousa, Club Secretary
Brian Krause, Club Treasurer
2025: Glen Honig, Lance Grob
2026: Tom Bauer, Lauren Cook
2027: Ryan Callan, Wendy Reuben

After adjournment of the annual meeting, member Mark McDonald introduced our speaker, Valley Center Kiwanis Club member Jim Dorschel who spoke about the stigma surrounding mental health.

Next, Sunny Rey and Anthony Azzarito, founders of Poets Underground, introduced us to their organization.

We celebrated these member birthdays:

May 6 - Lance Grob
May 8 - Emily Moberly
May 12 - Karina Sousa
May 21 - Eric Wever
May 31 - Mark McDonald
May 31 - Wendy Reuben

Members shared good news with each other in the form of Bill's Bucks:

Karina Sousa celebrated her Bachelorette Party in Cabo
Jeremy Alexander will remain in San Diego for at least another year
Mark McDonald celebrated his birthday and years as a member
Lance Grob saved a drowning man and his family in Mission Bay
Karen and Greg Bowers' son is graduating from SDSU
Jay Jeffcoat will miss our networking event in the East Village

After recapping prior events and looking at what is on the horizon, we concluded our meeting. If you missed it, check out the recording:

Luncheon - Mark Grant

Wed, 01 May 2024 17:05:04 GMT

President Steve Morris opened the meeting by ringing the bell. After reciting the pledge of allegiance, we welcomed members from Bonita Kiwanis, Hillcrest All-inclusive Kiwanis, Southeastern Kiwanis and Tierrasanta Kiwanis.

Then long-time member Jay Jeffcoat introduced our speaker Mark Grant.

The full house was engaged and entertained. As a thank you, the San Diego Kiwanis Club Foundation made a donation in Mark Grant's honor to the St. Madeline Sophie's Center.

We celebrated April birthdays, and all honorees were in attendance:

April 3- Sherry Dietz
April 18 - Doug Frost
April 23 - Steve Morris
April 25 - Shaun McArdle

Members were generous in their Bill's Bucks donations and fines including:

Steve Morris - who forgot his Kiwanis pin
Neill Kovrig - who was grateful for all the clubs in attendance and a great speaker
Kate Kovrig - who enjoyed celebrating the fellowship of Kiwanis
Joe Sigurdson - whose nonprofit had a fantastic celebration
Monica Ball - who invited everyone to a STAR/PAL event
Gordon Boerner - who was happy to attend other nonprofit events while representing Kiwanis
Jim Floros - who is a long-time friend of Mark Grant
Wendy Reuben - who is headed to her high school reunion
Walt Groves - who invited everyone to the Bonita Kiwanis golf event
Karina Sousa - who self-fined as she was spotted on the Padres Jumbotron without her Kiwanis pin

After a recap of past events and look forward to future ones, the meeting wrapped up.

Scholars Luncheon - April 16, 2024

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 17:50:23 GMT

President Steve Morris rang the bill to open our annual luncheon celebrating scholarship recipients.

After reciting the pledge of allegiance, he welcomed students and staff from:

Cal State San Marcos

Point Loma Nazarene University

UCSD

University of San Diego

Coronado High School
San Diego High School
St. Augustine High School

Foundation President Gordon Boerner gave a history of the Foundation, followed by Scholarship Chair Brittany Curran's history of that committee.

Vice President Justin Morris invited the scholars up to answer questions about their experiences in school and plans for the future.

President Morris invited students to considering joining Kiwanis after graduation, and then welcomed Bill's Bucks from the members recognizing their achievements.

We were encouraged by our scholars and excited to follow their futures.

Virtual Meeting

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 16:19:14 GMT

We met virtually on April 2, and President Steve Morris welcomed five guests from the Tierrasanta Kiwanis Club:

John Haigis
Jim Knox
Dave West
Jan Whitacre
Peter Penczar

Arrod Mohammadian from Community HousingWorks introduced his organization and the good work they are doing in the community.

We celebrated these April birthdays:

April 3 - Sherry Dietz
April 18 - Doug Frost
April 23 - Steve Morris
April 25 - Shaun McArdle

Members pledged Bill's Bucks for:

Gordon Boerner - just got back to a trip from the East Coast
Doug Frost - daughter bought a wedding dress
Steve Morris - celebrating his son's first birthday this month
Karen Bower - son's girlfriend is part of the Point Loma Nazarene winning team
Karina Sousa - enjoyed Giving Day and Easter weekend with her family

We did a recap of past events and a look at all the exciting events coming.

If you missed it, you can catch the video online:

Kiwanis San Diego Notice of Annual Meeting - May 7, 2024

Karina Sousa — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 15:34:06 GMT

Kiwanis San Diego Notice of Annual Meeting

This Annual Meeting will include the Election of 2024/2025 Club Officer and the Class of 2027 Club Board of Directors.

Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Time: Noon, or as soon thereafter as the meeting is called to order

Location: Zoom

Posted: April 1, 2024

By: Karina Sousa, Club Secretary

Annual Meeting of the General Membership of the

Kiwanis San Diego

May 7, 2024

Agenda

I. CALL TO ORDER/DETERMINATION THAT A QUORUM IS PRESENT

II. APPROVAL OF ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES OF AUGUST 15, 2023

(Click HERE to access)

III. ELECTION OF 2024/2025 CLUB OFFICERS AND THE CLASS OF 2027 CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Justin Frisco, President
Steve Morris, Immediate Past President
Gordon Boerner, Vice President
Karina Sousa, Club Secretary
Brian Krause, Club Treasurer

2025: Glen Honig, Lance Grob
2026: Tom Bauer, Lauren Cook
2027: Ryan Callan, Wendy Reuben

IV. ADJOURNMENT

Luncheon - Catalyst of San Diego

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:48:13 GMT

President Steve Morris opened the March 19 meeting by ringing the bell. After everyone recited the pledge of allegiance, guests were welcomed. They included:

Jexsi Gray and Jan Magot, both from Uplift San Diego.

Foundation President Gordon Boerner welcomed our speakers from Catalyst of San Diego and Imperial Counties, Megan Thomas and Melissa Leon.

Next we celebrated member birthdays:

Joe Sigurdson, March 1
Annie Fitzgerald, March 17
Louie Ocana, March 27

and member successes:

Joe Sigurdson looks forward to the Rooted in Resiliency gala
Louie Ocana was grateful that Brian Krause took him to see SDSU basketball
Jan Magot remembers Bill Gibbs who knew her mother from church
Monica Ball is partnering with Laurels for Leaders to support college prep activities, and she was also honored to be in San Diego Business Journal
Jay Jeffcoat was honored to be pictured in Giving Back magazine

After recapping past events and looking forward to future, our meeting concluded with President Morris' ringing of the bell.

Luncheon - SDSU Coach Sean Lewis

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 18:05:42 GMT

President Steve Morris opened our March 5th meeting and welcomed a packed crowd at Elijah's Restaurant! Most everyone was dressed in red and black to cheer on SDSU Aztecs.

Foundation President Gordon Boerner introduced SDSU Athletic Director J.D. Wicker who then introduced Football Coach Sean Lewis.

After a rousing speech followed by Q&A, the Foundation was pleased to present SDSU Athletics with a check of $16,000.

President Morris was thrilled to speak of the impact the Club and Foundation make in our community, and he welcomed any and all of our guests to consider joining.

We welcomed new member Amber Bertelsen.

After a recap of events past and excitement of those to come, our first March 2024 meeting was a wrap.

Virtual Meeting - California Innocence Project

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 18:01:40 GMT

President Steve Morris started our virtual meeting by welcoming members and guests.

Then Emily Moberly introduced our speaker, Justin Brooks, founder of the California Innocence Project. His presentation was engaging about the important work he and his team are doing, releasing innocent people from prison, often years after their convictions.

Next Elsa Morales-Roth from the Emilio Nares Foundation told us about the good work her organization is doing, encouraging members to support them with their time and donations.

We celebrated these February birthdays:

February 1 – Heather Robinson
February 5 – David Gugerty
February 9 – Tim Callan
February 9 – June Frost
February 14 – Glen Honig
February 18 – Todd Miller
February 21 – Lauren Cook
February 21 – Vic Bianchini

Our members shared and donated Bill's Bucks:

Doug Frost - who survived the Tierrasanta tornado
Justin Frisco - who was late to the meeting
Karina Sousa - who enjoyed hospitality from Shaun McArdle who makes a mean Shauntini
Karen and Greg Bower - who had an amazing trip to Australia
Emily Moberly - who is excited to have her brother and his family back in San Diego
Gordon Boerner - who wasn't wear his pin
Sanam Charlton - who lost her pin

After a recap of past events and look forward to future ones, our meeting ended. If you missed it, catch it here:

Meeting - Burnham Center for Community Advancement

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 19:20:29 GMT

President Steve Morris rang the bell to open our January 16, 2024 meeting.

We recited the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed guests including:

Lori Sheets
Dan Smiechowski

Carl Nettleton introduced our speaker

from the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, Bill Ponder.

We awarded Burton Ober the Youth Service Award for his work with the UCSD School of Medicine, as our Director of Student Affairs. Vice President Justin Frisco presented the award.

We celebrated January birthdays including:

January 16 - Mike Boland

January 19 - Drue Jordan

Our members were generous, as always, giving to Bill's Bucks. We celebrated:

Mike Boland's birthday and years in the Club.
Joe Sigurdson being in Giving Back Magazine and San Diego Business Journal.
Jim Floros and the Green Bay Packers.
Gordon Boerner who learned new members Karen and Greg Bowers' son just got a job in San Diego.
Lauren Cook who enjoyed the speaker.
Burton Ober who was grateful for all the Club does in the community.
Wendy Reuben who was on KUSI to promote the Holiday Bowl.

Then we recapped past events including a successful service project with the Salvation Army, especially appreciated by their Captain and our member Jeremy Alexander.

And, we looked forward in the calendar to upcoming events, before Steve rang the bell to conclude the meeting.

Meeting - KPBS

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 19:12:00 GMT

President Steve Morris rang the bell to open our December 19, 2023 last meeting of the year!

We were happy to welcome many guests including:

Desiree Perez, Steve's wife

Lt. Gov. Fernando Orozco along with several members from Kiwanis of Bonita, pictured with Secretary Karina Sousa

Jexsi Grey and Dr. Ethel Sims, guests of Monica Ball and Lauren Cook

along with many members including Justin Frisco, Sanam Charlton, Shaun McArdle, Gordon Boerner, and Chuck Day

and Eric Wever, pictured with Shaun McArdle

We were honored to hear from Deanna Martin Mackey, General Manager of KPBS

After the presentation and Q&A, we celebrated these member birthdays:

Ricardo Sandoval - December 6
Tyler Harris - December 11
Judy Leitner - December 17

and these members experiences, along with their donations towards Bill's Bucks:

Monica Ball - collecting coats for the unsheltered
Gordon Boerner - was featured in Giving Back Magazine and his daughter is working on an SDSU/Rubio's partnership
Fernando Orozco - happy to have our Club's help at Wreaths Across America
Wendy Reuben - Holiday Bowl is coming up
Karina Sousa - great to see new faces and old, thank you to Krauses for hosting holiday party, looking forward to Laurels for Leaders
Lauren Cook - loved today's program
Brian Krause - amazing house building experience in TJ
Carl Nettleton - grateful to the Club and had an awesome experience with Wired Magazine
Chuck Day - looking forward to the Holiday Bowl
Jay Jeffcoat - pleased Buddy could join the meetig

We did a quick recap of prior events and a look at upcoming events before adjourning the meeting.

Virtual Meeting - Short Term Residential Occupancy

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 18:31:45 GMT

President Steve Morris opened up our virtual meeting December 5 with a welcome to members and guests.

Then Karen Bower introduced our speaker, Matt Wood, Program Manager for San Diego's Short Term Residential Occupancy Program.

Matt gave an informative talk about the city's program, followed by Q&A.

We celebrated these member birthdays:

December 6 - Ricardo Sandoval
December 11 - Tyler Harris
December 17 - Judy Leitner
December 23 - Traci Knight

We were grateful to the generosity of these members who pledged Bill's Bucks:

Karina Sousa - last weekend's service project was inspiring!
Gordon Boerner - excited that Karen Bower has offered to be Foundation Treasurer
Jay Jeffcoat - enjoying La Jolla Playhouse's recent offerings
Wendy Reuben - wishing Clemson was playing in the 2023 Holiday Bowl
Eldon Thompson - glad to be joining the meeting online

Wendy Reuben donated two tickets to the USS Midway Museum's Jingle Jets, and Karen Bower won the auction for them!

After a recap of past events and a look forward to future ones, we signed off for the day.

If you missed it, you can watch the meeting online:

Meeting - Midway Rising

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:52:54 GMT

President Steve Morris rang the bell to open our November luncheon meeting at Elijah's restaurant.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, we welcomed several guests:

Randy Bellamy from the Bonita Kiwanis Club
Avi Klinger, prospective member
Dan White, prospective member
Rick White, prospective member

Vice President Justin Morris introduced our speaker from Midway Rising, Jim Andersen.

The talk was well received, and the meeting continued by welcoming several new and newish members:

Greg and Karen Bower
Sherry Dietz - who received her official badge
Tyler Harris
Wendy Reuben - who received her official badge and pin
Sitara Sethi - who was inducted as a new member

We honored Ryan Callan with the Don McKee Spirit of Kiwanis award (although it was from 2021-2).

We celebrated Brian Krause as the only November birthday with Brian in absentia.

Bill's Bucks included:

Ryan Callan - thank you for his Don McKee award
Glen Honig - loves San Diego
Karina Sousa - 14 years of Traveling Stories plus Brittany Curran as our new scholarship team chair

Emily Morey - 14 years of Traveling Stories plus no fundraising campaign this holiday season and a well-deserved vacation
Jay Jeffcoat - an amazing trip to New York, bringing back a bottle of wine to auction off
Greg and Karen Bower - won the auction for Jay's wine
Lauren Cook - congrats to Gordon for getting Traci Knight to join the Club
Gordon Boerner - congrats to Lauren on an amazing SOSL event
Randy Bellamy - impressive meeting with so many new members
Heather Robinson - overcoming family medical hardships plus participating in the Juvenile Diabetes Walk this weekend
Monica Ball - her October birthday plus working on reducing homelessness among minority populations

Tyler Harris - ate the last kebob
Justin Frisco - won the auction of the SDSU ring that the Bowers thought they were giving to Gordon as a gift
Jay Jeffcoat - spotted in Giving Back Magazine
Carl Nettleton - congrats to Gordon on getting Dr. Connie Mariano back to visit her old high school

After a look back at past events and a look forward to future ones, President Morris rang the bell and concluded the meeting.

Meeting - Tijuana River Pollution

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:57:20 GMT

Club President Steve Morris rang the bell to open the first in-person meeting of the Kiwanis year.

After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, we welcomed guests including:

Gene Auerbach, former member (pictured with our own Mark McDonald and Wendy Reuben)

Neill Kovrig from Division 21

Then we welcomed member and our speaker, Carl Nettleton, who spoke about Tijuana River pollution.

Carl writes the Nett Report. If you are not receiving it yet, you can read back issues and sign up here.

Then we honored Carl with the Don McKee Spirit of Kiwanis award.

Next up was Eri Nall with an update from the San Diego Unified School District Counseling office (pictured with Shaun McArdle).

We inducted new and returning members:

Greg Bower
Sherry Dietz
Wendy Reuben

pictured with new-ish members Karen Bower, Lance Grob, Emily Moberly.

We celebrated these October member birthdays:

Gordon Boerner
Susan Day
Ashley Morey
John Rush
Sanam Charlton
Dick Shaw
Jay Jeffcoat
Paul Riggs
Monica Ball

and received Bill's Bucks from:

Carl Nettleton - thank you for his Don McKee award, several vacations, Nett report awards
Doug Frost - great board retreat, high school reunion

Neill Kovrig - glad to be visiting from Hillcrest All Inclusive Club
Karen Bower - big birthday in September
Glen Honig - new location
Brian Krause - started a new company, missed a board meeting
Wendy Reuben - Gordon Boerner brought her back to the Club, then he retired (Gordon pictured with Jeremy Alexander)

Karina Sousa - glad to see Gene, Mark and Neill, amazing networking event at the Mingei, renewing realtor license and getting engaged
David Gugerty - glad to be back
Mark McDonald - glad to see the Don McKee award that he helped design, district board meeting that renewed his contract
Justin Frisco - won the See's Candies gift card auction (pictured with Steve Morris)

After recapping prior events and looking forward to upcoming, Steve rang the bell to signal the end of the meeting.

Virtual Meeting - Parks and Rec Department

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 17:06:35 GMT

Club President Steve Morris opened the meeting and welcomed new and returning members to our first virtual meeting of the Kiwanis year.

Foundation President Gordon Boerner introduced speaker Andy Field, Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation at the City of San Diego. Members were interested to learn about all the things Parks and Rec does around the city.

Next we celebrated October member birthdays including:

October 1 – Gordon Boerner
October 3 – Susan Day
October 5 – Ashley Morey
October 7 – John Rush
October 9 – Sanam Charlton
October 14 – Dick Shaw
October 16 – Jay Jeffcoat
October 16 – Paul Riggs
October 19 – Monica Ball

No meeting, virtual or otherwise, would be complete without member generosity in the form of Bill's Bucks. This meeting we recognized:

Gordon Boerner - for his October birthday, years in the club and gratefulness to Karina Sousa who attended the Downtown San Diego Partnership event representing the Club
Jay Jeffcoat - for his birthday, years in the club and fabulous vacation
Mike Boland - for his fabulous vacation to Paris with family
Karina Sousa - for attending the Downtown San Diego Partnership event representing the Club
Susan Day - who is thrilled to turn the presidential reins over to Steve

The meeting ended by reviewing past events and looking forward to future ones. If you missed it, you can watch the recording:

End of Year Member Celebration

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 19:03:06 GMT

The Club gathered for the last meeting of the 2022-3 Kiwanis year at the University Club Atop Symphony Towers on September 19.

We honored members and friends of the Club with several awards:

Chuck Day - 25 year Legion of Honor pin
Mark McDonald - 35 year Legion of Honor pin
Drue Jordan - 40 year Legion of Honor pin
Shaun McArdle - Tablet of Honor
Gordon Boerner - Top Member Recruit
Susan Day - Retiring President, Incoming Immediate Past President
Steve Morris - Incoming President
Justin Frisco - Incoming Vice President
Karina Sousa - Returning Secretary
Brian Krause - Returning Treasurer
Lauren Cook - Incoming board
Glen Honig - Incoming board
Lance Grob - Incoming board
Dr. Jerry Rey - Youth Service Award
Evie Jones - Youth Service Award
Tom Bauer - Children's Fund Pin
Doug Frost - Incoming Governor Elect
Justin Frisco - Distinguished Service Award
Heather Robinson - Distinguished Service Award
Jim Floros - Distinguished Service Award
Susan Day - Hixson
Eric Wever - Youth Service Award
Sherry Dietz - New Member
June Frost - New Member
Lance Grob - New Member
Emily Moberly - New Member
Ashley Morey - New Member
Wendy Reuben - New Member
Karen Bower - New Member
Brittany Curran - New Member
Tyler Harris - New Member
Evan Kay - New Member
Todd Miller - New Member
Ryan Stephens - New Member

In true Kiwanis style, we honored the above by acting out a courtroom scene. At the end of the event, the actors were thanked for participating:

Vic Bianchini
Karina Sousa
Jay Jeffcoat
Jim Floros
Brian Krause
David Jay

and a big thank you to DJ Captain Jeremy Alexander.

Looking forward to another amazing Kiwanis year!

Annual Meeting and Speaker Betsy Brennan

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 16:06:56 GMT

President Susan Day rang the bell to open the Club annual meeting at UC San Diego Park and Market. She welcomed members and guests:

Annie Fitzgerald
Jeanette Gann-Escobar
Jay Henslee
Ryan Stevens

After we recited the Pledge of Allegiance, Gordon Boerner introduced our speaker Betsy Brennan, CEO of Downtown San Diego Partnership, who told our members about all the benefits their organization is providing to residents and businesses in downtown.

After the speaker, we inducted 6 new members:

Karen Bower
Brittany Curran
Lance Grob
Tyler Harris
Todd Miller
Ashley Morey

Next up, our annual meeting, beginning with approval of last year's minutes.

Then, a motion was made by Doug Frost and seconded by Gordon Boerner to elect next year's Board of Directors:

Steve Morris, President
Susan Day, Immediate Past President
Justin Frisco, Vice President
Karina Sousa, Club Secretary
Brian Krause, Club Treasurer
2024: Lauren Cook, Tom Bauer
2025: Gordon Boerner, Ryan Callan
2026: Glen Honig, Lance Grob

The motion passed unanimously.

We wished Brittany Curran a happy birthday!

Members generously donated Bill's Bucks to celebrate/recognize:

Louie Ocana - lost his Kiwanis pin
Joe Sigurdson - thank you to Club for helping with Caddyhack
Gordon Boerner - upcoming collaboration with Rotary, Lions, Optimists
Lauren Cook - thank you to Club for helping at upcoming SOSL walk
Karina Sousa - excited about new members
Monica Ball - Uplift is proud to work with Downtown San Diego Partnership
Ryan Callan - no Kiwanis pin, son's 20th birthday, welcome to new faces
Steve Futterman (interclub from Imperial Beach Kiwanis) - Kiwanis San Diego sets the standard
Heather Robinson - awesome Kiwanis Cal-Nev-Ha conference
Drue Jordan - just put up Christmas lights
Brian Krause - forgot his pin, finished home renovations
Carl Nettleton - new grandson born last week, spoke at a Rotary meeting and went to a second Rotary meeting
Ryan Stevens (guest of Joe Sigurdson and soon-to-be member) - thanks to Boys to Men and wants to increase service among young people
Jay Jeffcoat - just got back from Londo
Doug Frost - Governor Elect

After a recap of past events and look forward to future ones, the meeting adjourned.

Virtual Meeting - Water Supply in San Diego

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 18:03:35 GMT

President Susan Day opened the virtual meeting by welcoming members in the Zoom room, including new members Wendy Reuben and Karen Bower.

Then we had a quick recap of prior events before Carl Nettleton welcomed our speaker, Jesica Cleaver, from the San Diego County Water Authority.

Jesica let us know that she had received a scholarship from Kiwanis so felt a kinship towards our group.

Then we learned about what relatively good shape San Diego is in, compared to other parts of California, with regards to our water supply.

After the speaker, we celebrated member birthdays:

David Jay, June 7
Eldon Thompson, June 12
Ryan Callan, June 13
Justin Frisco, June 18

Our members generously donated towards the Club in honor of:

Carl Nettleton - recently interviewed on television for his efforts with Ocean Opens Global
Karina Sousa - disappointed she'd missed such a fabulous service project last weekend with Just in Time for Foster Youth
Jeremy Alexander - had an amazing experience at the Just in Time for Foster Youth service project
Lauren Cook - used an old Kiwanis Zoom background that ended up helping out in her meeting

We are looking forward to many amazing upcoming events!

If you missed the meeting you can watch it online:

Kiwanis San Diego Notice of Annual Meeting

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 17:47:14 GMT

Kiwanis San Diego Notice of Annual Meeting

This Annual Meeting will include the Election of 2023/2024 Club Officer and the Class of 2025 Club Board of Directors.

Date: Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Time: 7:30 a.m., or as soon thereafter as the meeting is called to order

Location: UC San Diego Park & Market

Posted: June 12, 2023

By: Karina Sousa, Club Secretary

Annual Meeting of the General Membership of the

Kiwanis San Diego

August 15, 2023

Agenda

I.CALL TO ORDER/DETERMINATION THAT A QUORUM IS PRESENT

II.APPROVAL OF ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES OF September 6, 2022

(Click HERE to access)

III.ELECTION OF 2023/2024 CLUB OFFICERS AND THE CLASS OF 2026 CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Steve Morris, President
Susan Day, Immediate Past President
Justin Frisco, Vice President
Karina Sousa, Club Secretary
Brian Krause, Club Treasurer

2024: Lauren Cook, Tom Bauer
2025: Gordon Boerner, Ryan Callan

2026: Glen Honig, Lance Grob

IV. ADJOURNMENT

Breakfast Meeting - Battle of Midway - June 6, 2023

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 17:31:32 GMT

President Susan Day rang the bell to kick off our June 6th meeting.

The room at UC San Diego Park & Market was full of members and 3 guests:

Todd Miller, former Key Clubber and current UC San Diego Park & Market employee

Wendy Reuben, former Kiwanian

Ryan Stevens, guest of member Joe Sigurdson

After the Pledge of Allegiance and a recap of past events, our speaker was introduced by Mike Boland.

Then we heard from Andy Miller, docent at the USS Midway Museum, who gave us history of the Battle of Midway as well as a brief introduction to the museum.

After the presentation, we welcomed new members:

Emily Moberly

June Frost, who transferred from another Club

We celebrated birthdays of members:

David Jay, June 7
Eldon Thompson, June 12
Ryan Callan, June 13
Justin Frisco, June 18

We collected Bill's Bucks from many members, then auctioned off a bottle of wine that Justin Frisco collected on his travels, and Karina Sousa made the winning bid!

The meeting ended with a look to all the exciting upcoming events.

Virtual Meeting - Prop 28 and What It Means for Students

Wed, 17 May 2023 14:56:40 GMT

President Susan Day started off our virtual luncheon meeting by welcoming everyone in the virtual room.

We had members report on our past events including Carl Nettleton's recap of the Scholars Breakfast, Lauren Cook's reminiscing about the May networking event, and Karina Sousa's report on the April networking event.

New member Lance Grob introduced our speaker, Pauline Crooks, VAPA Coordinator with the San Diego County Office of Education. Pauline spoke about Proposition 28 which was of great interest to everyone in attendance.

We celebrated these May birthdays:

5/6 - Lance Grob
5/12 - Karina Sousa
5/21 - Eric Wever
5/31 - Mark McDonald

Then we looked at all the exciting planned events for May and beyond. If you missed the meeting, you can catch it online:

Scholars Breakfast - May 2, 2023

Tue, 02 May 2023 18:01:40 GMT

We met at UC San Diego Park and Market for a lovely breakfast honoring our scholarship recipients.

President Susan Day rang the bell to open the meeting and welcome everyone. Then she turned to Scholarship Team Captain David Jay to welcome scholarship recipients from:

San Diego High School Key Club

St. Augustine Academy Key Club

Cal State San Marcos

University of San Diego

and three students from Point Loma Nazarene University.

The Club members were able to learn more about these amazing students and see how our scholarships positively impacted their lives.

Virtual Meeting - Father Joe's Villages

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 16:06:56 GMT

Club Secretary Karina Sousa started our virtual meeting welcoming several guests in our Zoom room, along with some of our newer and prospective members:

Brittany Curran
Lance Grob
Ashley Moran

Then, after a quick recap of recent events, long-time member Chuck Day, introduced our guest speaker: Deacon Jim Vargas, President & CEO of Father Joe's Villages.

Deacon Jim spoke on Father Joe's Villages Comprehensive Approach to Preventing and Ending Homelessness.

Members were engaged about this growing problem and asked many questions.

At the conclusion of the talk, we celebrated April birthdays:

4/18 - Doug Frost
4/23 - Steve Morris
4/25 - Shaun McArdle

Then, we looked ahead to what's on the horizon. If you missed out, you can watch the replay:

Breakfast Meeting - Environmental Law

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 17:40:25 GMT

Our breakfast meeting began when President Susan Day rang the bell, and we said the Pledge of Allegiance.

Board member Glen Honig introduced our speaker Tim Patterson, retired Supervising Deputy Attorney General and UCSD Lecturer who spoke to the Club about environmental law in San Diego.

After the interesting presentation, we celebrated Club birthdays:

4/18 - Doug Frost
4/23 - Steve Morris
4/25 - Shaun McArdle

Then we celebrated member milestones and collected Bill's Bucks:

Doug Frost - birthday plus many new Kiwanis badges
Carl Nettleton - no pin plus the birth of his first grandson
Drue Jordan - no pin plus Go Aztecs!
Jeremy Alexander - no pin pls his promotion to Captain
Karina Sousa - enjoyed the Just in Time gala and book launch plus Easter
Louie Ocana - no pin plus it's great to be back
Glen Honig - Passover and Easter plus a wine tasting trip in Napa/Sonoma
Steve Morris - birthday, five years in Kiwanis, and his 2 year wedding anniversary

Next we auctioned off a couple of items:

Carl Nettleton brought back a "Dancing Queen" t-shirt from Sweden and Karina Sousa won it!

Kevin Currier won the water bottle sent to the Club from Rancho de Sus Ninos.

We did a quick recap of events past and look forward to future events. Then we closed out the meeting, in anticipation of our next get together.

Virtual Meeting - San Diego Loyal

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 16:00:19 GMT

We were pleased to gather virtually on March 21.

President Susan Day welcomed members and guests, which included 2 members from San Diego Loyal -- Weston Breay and Shannon MacMillan.

After a warm introduction from member Jay Jeffcoat, Shannon MacMillan spoke to us about the exciting things San Diego Loyal is doing to really be part of the San Diego community -- things we are also passionate about like volunteering time with great local non-profits.

The Club is looking forward to our San Diego Loyal game and fundraiser on April 29.

After Shannon concluded her remarks, we wished members happy birthday:

Joe Sigurdson - March 1
Louie Ocana - March 27

When asked for Bill's Bucks, we received generous contributions from:

Jay Jeffcoat - in honor of his 2 upcoming trips to cheer on SDSU and the Padres.
Lauren Cook - grateful to receive a 15-year pin as a volunteer with AYSO

We recapped prior events and looked forward to those coming up before our meeting concluded.

If you missed it, you can watch the Zoom recording here:

Breakfast Meeting - March 7, 2023

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 16:40:23 GMT

President Susan Day opened the March 7th breakfast meeting by ringing the bell and leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

She welcomed guests Traci Knight-Cortez and Marcel Kasmer, along with members.

We celebrated March birthdays:

March 1 - Joe Sigurdson
March 27 - Louie Ocana

New member Evan Kay was given his "ugly" name tag and Kiwanis pin by his Kiwanis sponsor Ryan Callan.

$146 in Bill's Bucks was generously donated by members, to welcome Evan Kay and celebrate Joe Sigurdson's birthday.

There was a quick recap of past events and announcements of upcoming events, all of which are posted on the website. Lots of excitement to come!

Virtual Meeting - Sleep in Aging and Insomnia

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:24:16 GMT

President Susan Day started the virtual meeting by welcoming guests from several other clubs, including:

Bonita
Grantville-Allied Gardens
Escondido
Scripps Ranch.

Then she introduced and welcomed our speaker, Dr. Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Professor of Research at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Ancoli-Israel spoke about Sleep in Aging and Insomnia, then answered the group's questions.

After the speaker, we celebrated the birthdays of members:

2/1 - Heather Robinson
2/5 - David Gugerty
2/9 - Tim Callan
2/9 - June Frost
2/14 - Glen Honig
2/21 - Lauren Cook
2/21 - Vic Bianchini
2/24 - Scofield Hage

The group was generous in donations to celebrate:

Carl Nettleton - a great trip to Norway and Sweden.
Doug Frost - throwing his hat into the ring for District Governor
Karina Sousa - welcoming new members, thanking Ryan Callan for dog sitting, and pleased that Ruby is now an airplane veteran
Gordon Boerner - successful medical treatments
Randy Ortlieb - pleased to be joining us from the Escondido Club

Prior to concluding the meeting, we reviewed past events and looked forward to future ones.

You can view the meeting online:

Breakfast Meeting - FBI

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:22:39 GMT

Our members were pleased to return to UC San Diego Park & Market for our January breakfast meeting.

President Susan Day rang the bell to open the meeting.

We had several guests in attendance:

Traci Knight-Cortez, friend of member Lauren Cook

Victoria Robertson, friend of member Jim Floros

Lance Grob

Then we welcomed two local FBI agents who gave an engaging, informative presentation on crime in our region.

After a Q& A period, we resumed the meeting to celebrate two member birthdays:

1/16 - Mike Boland
1/19 - Drue Jordan

Next, we honored member Gordon Boerner with a pin for his personal donation to the Kiwanis Children's Fund.

Before recapping previous events and previewing what's to come, we completed required Kiwanis Youth Protection training.

President Day rang the bell to conclude the meeting.

Breakfast - Port of San Diego - 12/6/22

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 18:26:56 GMT

We were back at UC San Diego for our breakfast meeting.

President Susan Day welcomed everyone by ringing the bell, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

We were happy to welcome several members of Kiwanis Club of Bonita:

Walter and Sandra Groves
Peter Matz
Alynne de Vilmorin
Lance Jordan
Fernando Orozco

We also welcomed:

Alison Aragon - Pro Kids
Teresa Valenzuela - San Diego Futures Foundation
Taylor Henderson - Home of Guiding Hands
Ashley Morey - Home of Guiding Hands

Michael Brown spoke about the Port of San Diego to an enthusiastic audience.

After an enlightening presentation and yummy breakfast, members were feeling generous and gave money to commemorate:

Walter Groves - happy to be at the event and not having gotten lost
Sandra Groves - hosted a lovely Thanksgiving
Lance Jordan - happy to be at our meeting
Alynne de Vilmorin - excited to do a service project together tomorrow
Justin Frisco - no pin
Glen Honig - enjoyed 2 parades with the Corvette Club
Karina Sousa - Ryan Callan watched her dog Ruby so she could host Thanksgiving
Joe Sigurdson - happy to meet Teresa Valenzuela who just hired one of his previous employees to work at San Diego Futures Foundation
Jim Floros - happy to wake up
David Jay - his child scored very high on the PSAT and may be a National Merit Scholar
Steve Morris – he and his wife are expecting a baby boy in April
Carl Nettleton - making a special presentation this evening
Monica Ball – 3 tutoring sites are opening in person after COVID
Taylor Henderson - getting married
Ashley Morey - her dog learned how to do a high 5

Mostly, all enjoyed the fellowship of being together.

Virtual Luncheon - State of Fire Rescue 2022 - 11/15/22

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 17:00:33 GMT

Our virtual luncheon began with a warm welcome from President Susan Day.

Then Susan introduced our speaker, Chief John Wood, who spoke about the operations of fire rescue in San Diego. The members in attendance virtually were engaged and asked some interesting questions including:

Who pays for the food at the fire station?
How long before a fire truck is retired? In years and mileage.
How are the numbers on the trucks determined?
Do fire stations have solar panels on their roofs?

For these and more answers, you can watch the video.

After our speaker, members were pleased to learn of Carl Nettleton's recent successes with his organization Open Oceans Global. Lauren Cook updated the Club about her recent received grant for Survivors of Suicide Loss.

The meeting ended with a quick recap of past events and look forward to future events.

If you missed it, you can catch it online:

Comic-Con Museum Tour & Breakfast Meeting -- 11/1/2

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 18:47:15 GMT

We are grateful to our hosts from the Comic-Con Museum who provided a lovely breakfast and tour of the museum.

Our abbreviated meeting began when President Susan Day rang the bell.

We welcomed guests from the Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis Club -- George and Kathy Butterstein and Vic Enchelmayer.

Then we wished Brian Krause happy birthday in absentia.

Our members gave Bill's Bucks to celebrate:

Jeremy Alexander - a successful Salvation Army BBQ
Gordon Boerner - a variety of events plus paying of old fines
Kevin Currier - his daughter's soccer success
Judy Leitner - so many good things plus an upcoming trip
Heather Robinson - a family wedding
John Rush - happy to be back in San Diego

We were delighted to receive a private tour of the makerspace.

And the rest of the museum.

ending at the Spiderman exhibit.

Virtual Luncheon - Dog Cognition

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 20:29:12 GMT

Vice President Steve Morris opened our virtual luncheon in our President's absence and welcomed 13 members, 3 guests, and 6 members from the Escondido Kiwanis Club.

Immediate Past President Mike Boland introduced our speaker Dr. Federico Rossano, who spoke about the research he is doing at UCSD on dog cognition. He shared his research findings and played several videos showing dogs communicating to their owners using buttons that play words. The virtual audience was fascinated and amused by the topic and the videos.

The Club had celebrated most of the October birthdays at our in-person meeting earlier in the month, so we went on to Bill's Bucks.

Thank you to:

Karina Sousa - pledged money in honor of the great program and because she enjoyed seeing guest Heidi Callan (Ryan Callan's wife) and long-time member Eldon Thompson in the Zoom room.

Doug Frost - pledged money in honor of Stanford's recent win over Notre Dame. When asked, Doug claimed he didn't know about the Padres recent success.

After reviewing the last few weeks' successful events and looking forward to events to come, the meeting ended on time.

First Meeting of the new Kiwanis Year @ UCSD Park & Market with SD Airport Authority speaking

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 18:11:19 GMT

Incoming President Susan Day rang the bell to open the first meeting of the new Kiwanis year. And, we were all excited to be at a brand-new location downtown at UCSD Park & Market.

After leading the Pledge of Allegiance, Susan welcomed our guests Evan Kay, Kurt Cecconi and Mark Neville. Mark gave an inpromptu update of the Holiday Bowl.

Next, Past President Mike Boland introduced our speaker, Gil Cabrera, President of the Board of the San Diego Airport Authority. Gil updated us on the plans for the new Terminal 1. Members were engaged and asked lots of questions.

On to birthday celebrations for these members:

10/1 – Gordon Boerner
10/3 – Susan Day
10/7 – John Rush
10/9 – Sanam Charlton
10/14 – Richard Shaw
10/16 – Jay Jeffcoat
10/16 – Paul Riggs
10/19 – Monica Ball

Our members were very generous with their self-fines and celebrations to commemorate:

Jim Floros - for waking up
David Jay - forgot his pin
Carl Nettleton - forgot his pin and his son and wife are in London
Justin Frisco - Burn Institute event was lovely
Judy Leitner - Carl’s phone went off
Karina Sousa - for absence
Gordon Boerner - for absence
Jay Jeffcoat - Padres in playoffs, his birthday, years in club
Ryan Callan
Mike Boland - Kiwanis water bottle auction winner, donated to Susan
Jeremy Alexander - no pin
Brian Krause
Susan Day - her birthday
Monica Ball - her birthday

Judy Leitner presented Mike Boland with his Past President Kiwanis pin.

Mike Boland presented Susan Day with her President Kiwanis pin.

Susan Day presented Steve Morris with his Vice President Kiwanis pin.

We did a recap of last month's events, including the service project with Jeremy Alexander and the Salvation Army.

We ended with a look forward towards upcoming invents, the meeting concluded on time!

2022 Awards and Installation at Tom Ham's Lighthouse

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 18:41:55 GMT

What a fabulous night on September 20 to celebrate Kiwanians and install the new Board!

Lots of fun and frolicking with a SNL Celebrity Jeopardy panel -- Sean Connery, French Stewart, Burt Reynolds, but looking at lot like members Jay Jeffcoat, David Jay, Justin Frisco. With their hosts, Alex Trebek aka Brian Krause and co-host Karina Sousa.

Kiwanis International reps included Region 1 Trustee Lisa Watson and District Secretary Mark McDonald, although Mark proudly is a long-time member of Kiwanis of San Diego.

Sanam Charlton earned a Distinguished Service Award for her great work on the Community Impact Grant Team.

New member Kevin Currier earned his official name tag and a Distinguished Service Award!

Jeremy Alexander also earned his official name tag and Distinguished Service Award. Plus he acted as DJ at the event! Our new members are making us proud!

Heather Robinson earned a Youth Service Award.

As did Jeremy Hersch, for making the 65th Annual Laurels for Leaders happen as the President.

Mike Boland was honored and thanked for his 2 years of service as President alongside his beautiful wife Christy.

Chuck Day was awarded an upgrade to his Hixson -- now at Diamond Level!

Doug Frost also received an upgrade to his Hixson. Another Diamond fellow.

Jay Jeffcoat aka Sean Cwas honored for 45 years as a Kiwanian!

Gordon Boerner received his 30-year pin! Jim Floros also has been a Kiwanian for 30 years!

Scody Hage -- 45 years, Richard Shaw - 45 years, and Eldon Thompson -- 40 years were not in attendance but honored nonetheless.

Judy Leitner was thanked for her many years of service through all her positions, and most recently as outgoing Immediate Past President.

Susan Day was welcomed as incoming President.

Steve Morris will be following Susan as incoming Vice President.

The entire incoming board includes:

President Susan Day

Immediate Past President Mike Boland

Vice President Steve Morris

Secretary Karina Sousa

Treasurer Brian Krause

Class of 2023 - Glen Honig and Kevin Currier

Class of 2024- Justin Frisco and Tom Bauer

Class of 2025- Gordon Boerner and Ryan Callan

Looking great for 2023!

Annual Meeting - 9/6/22

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 17:39:14 GMT

President Mike Boland called our Annual Meeting to order on Zoom, and we quickly got to the major business at hand, election of next year's board:

President Susan Day
Immediate Past President Mike Boland
Secretary Karina Sousa
Treasurer Brian Krause
Class of 2023: Glen Honig, Kevin Currier
Class of 2024: Justin Frisco, Tom Bauer
Class of 2025: Gordon Boerner, Ryan Callan

Next, we discussed that it is time to renew membership -- due October 1.

Next year we have condensed our teams into these 5 and would like all members to join and participate in one of them:

Membership
Programming/speaker
Community grants
Scholarships
Community service

Club Secretary Karina Sousa gave a tutorial of WildApricot's features including the membership directory, event registration, linking to Google calendar, and more. She also encouraged members to download the WildApricot app and to follow Kiwanis on all our social media platforms:

Facebook: HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/KIWANISSANDIEGO
LinkedIn: HTTPS://WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/company/15913211/
Instagram: HTTPS://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/KIWANISSANDIEGO/

We wished happy birthday to:

Tom Bauer - 9/7
Kevin Currier - 9/11
Jim Floros - 9/22
Claire LeBeau - 9/24
Carl Nettleton - 9/28

Then we collected fines / Bill's Bucks and auctioned off Padres tickets. The winners in these categories:

Carl Nettleton - celebrating his birthday
Claire LeBeau - birthday and winner of the Padres tickets for date night before baby #2 appears
Mike Boland - congrats to Claire
Judy Leitner - working on a kitchen remodel
Karina Sousa - congrats to Claire
Gordon Boerner - no Kiwanis gear when he showed up at the STAR/PAL service project

Looking forward to seeing everyone at all the exciting upcoming events!

Virtual Luncheon - Climate Change Economics - 8/16/22

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 18:17:48 GMT

Vice President Susan Day opened our virtual luncheon by welcoming all members and guests attending.

Jay Jeffcoat introduced our speaker, Jon Haveman Executive Director of the National Economic Education Delegation.

Jon gave an interesting and informative discussion of Climate Change Economics, ending with an educated Q&A session.

There were no August birthdays to celebrate, so members were asked to self-fine or boast about their goings in which included:

Karina Sousa - can't remember everyone's fines and missed the last Happy Hour she planned
Carl Nettleton - his non-profit Open Oceans Global got media coverage when announcing Citizen Science Initiative
Doug Frost - forgot his pin
Ryan Callan - forgot his pin
Jeremy Alexander- forgot his pin
David Jay- forgot his pin & was Zooming from Kentucky where he was celebrating his sister's birthday

Susan Day gave a brief summary of the Burn Institute's Camp Beyond the Stars that was supported by a grant from the Foundation.

If you missed it, you can watch the video and then plan to join us next time!

Kiwanis Club Visits the Home Depot Design Center

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 16:35:28 GMT

On August 2, 2022, the Club had a change of scenery by holding a meeting at the Home Depot Design Center, one of only two such centers in the United States.

Members enjoyed a gourmet meal prepared by chefs in the demonstration kitchen.

During the abbreviated meeting, Club Secretary Karina Sousa welcomed Mary and Tony Haas and Kathy and George Butterstein, members of the Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis Club for joining us.

Bill's Bucks were collected from:

Kathy Butterstein - thank you for inviting us to your events
Judy Leitner - thank you to Judith for organizing
Doug Frost - looking forward to going to the District Convention
Emily Krause - wish husband Brian was here as he is the family chef

After the meeting, we were led on a hands-on tour which proved to be a lot of fun.

July 21, 2022 - Judi Patterson with Mental Health America

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 16:21:46 GMT

President Mike Boland started the July 21 virtual luncheon meeting by leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

After watching a YouTube video of the Marine's Hymn, Jeremy Alexander gave a meaningful invocation from his own life and one of his client's.

Our speaker was Judi Patterson from Mental Health America who told of the current mental health struggles many are facing and gave some helpful strategies for dealing with them.

We celebrated the July birthdays of Jeremy Alexander, Danny Williams, June Prewitt and Chuck Day.

Next it was some for self-fines and Bill's Bucks. Our members pledged:

Karina Sousa - apologizing for the mess her dog Ruby made in the office hallway and thanking Doug for cleaning it up
Carl Nettleton - celebrating Oceans Global Institute's new app
Doug Frost - apologizing for not being ready for the meeting and sharing the discovery of 6 signed letters from J. Edgar Hoover and 1 signed letter from Herbert Hoover found during the office overal
Judy Leitner - supporting the Club

The meeting ended with a recap of past events and look forward to the future events. If you missed the meeting you can watch here:

June 21, 2022 ~ Phil Trom of SANDAG presented at our Club meeting

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 17:16:48 GMT

Vice President Susan Day started our virtual meeting by ringing the bell and then led members in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Karina Sousa offered words of inspiration from Mother Teresa.

The members were impressed to watch the Navy Band perform "Stars and Stripes Forever" at their individual homes over Zoom.

Susan welcomed Alynne De Vilmorin, President of the Bonita Club to our meeting.

We enjoyed a fascinating presentation about the complexity of transportation in San Diego County from Phil Trom of SANDAG. Club members had many questions, and Phil sent a follow-up email with this link to answer some of them.

Fines and Bill's Bucks were pledged from:

Karina Sousa - who shared a story about a Red Shoe donor who went to high school with Chuck Day and was also grateful to spend time with Tom and Monica at the recent Happy Hour
Carl Nettleton - whose daughter-in-law graduated from Stanford
Doug Frost - who is spending quality time in quarantine with his daughter in Tulsa
Alynne De Vilmorin - was grateful to join our Club meeting
Chuck Day - who is thankful for the Club's participation in Red Shoe Day and apologetic that he did not meet with his mentee new member Kevin Currier
Kevin Currier - who is new to San Diego and has learned to curse traffic but appreciated the complexity of the issue better after Phil Trom's presentation

Susan closed the meeting with a recap of past events and preview of upcoming.

If you missed it, you can watch the recorded video here:

Lots of exciting things planned; please join us online and in-person!

May 17, 2022 ~ City Heights Music School and Mariachi Victoria de San Diego

Wed, 18 May 2022 16:37:15 GMT

The Club made a decision to hold more virtual meetings -- and that was fabulous for attendance at our meeting May 17, 2022!

President Mike Boland started the virtual meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Claire LeBeau shared an Irish blessing, with a nod to her family's Irish roots.

Youtube led us in a rousing rendition of "You're a Grand Old Flag."

Mike was glad to welcome Division 11 Lt. Governor Sergio Rosas to our meeting.

We all enjoyed the pre-recorded presentation from Victoria Eichler of the City Heights Music School and Mariachi Victoria de San Diego.

Fines and Bill's Bucks were pledged from:

Karina Sousa - no badge
Claire LeBeau - has her badge which she was supposed to return after Laurels
Doug Frost - has way too many badges
Judy Leitner - great program coming up in August at Home Depot Design
Mike Boland - left Karina’s birthday social early
Shaun McArdle - celebrating the Maritime Museum’s lecture on how to make a sail
Sergio Rosas - thank you for a great program

After a recap of past events and preview of upcoming, Mike rang the closing bell.

If you missed it, you can watch the recorded video here:

And, then make sure to come to future in-person and virtual events!

May 3rd Luncheon ~ Fantastic Time at Tom Ham's Lighthouse

Wed, 04 May 2022 16:55:01 GMT

So many familiar faces joined the May 3rd luncheon at Tom Ham's Lighthouse!

In addition to members we have seen and some we haven't seen in a while, we were happy to welcome:

4 guests from Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis Club - Alan and Grace Young, George and Kathy Butterstein
Life member and beloved, retired administrator of the Club - June Prewitt

Grant recipients - Javier Guerrero from Coastal Roots Farms and Angelica Ocampo from International Relief Teams
4 member spouses and significant others - Jerri Jordan, Emily Krause, Dr. Joyce Gattas, Sandy El Asmer

President Mike Boland rang the bell to start the meeting and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Justin Frisco led our invocation.

Jay Jeffcoat led our song -- Take Me Out to the Ballgame -- and then introduced our speaker, Sarah Beckman from Forever Balboa Park.

We inducted new member Kevin Currier.

And, much merriment ensued when we asked for fines and contributions to Bill's Bucks including donations from:

Karina Sousa - celebrate her birthday; great to see old and new friends
Doug Frost - soon to have new son-in-law
Judy Leitner - forgot her pin
Mike Boland - didn’t bring his mother
John Rush - missed most meetings
Joe Sigurdson - no pin or badge & 43rd anniversary
Brian Krause - 17th anniversary and married in Balboa Park at the Natural History Museum, Karina’s birthday, welcoming Kevin, reconnecting with Javier, welcoming Angelica
Jay Jeffcoat - 5 years with his significant other, fraternity brother memorials at UCSB
Javier Guerrero - thank you for grant to Coastal Roots Farms
Glen Honig - arrived late, daughter getting married
Heather Robinson - please come to Key Club event May 11
Jim Melvin - grandaughter’s volleyball championship from Harvard-Westlake
Shaun McArdle - celebrating 87 years young!

Scholars' Luncheon - April 19, 2022

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 17:53:54 GMT

The Kiwanis Club of San Diego welcomed 7 scholars and 6 university representatives to our meeting on April 19, 2022!

President Mike Boland rang the bell to kick off the meeting and lead the pledge of allegiance.

New member Jeremy Alexander gave a meaningful welcoming invocation.

Scholar Elizabeth Gaitan, a music student as SDSU, led the crowd in a verse from "This Land is Your Land." She graciously accepted this role on the spot as she walked in the door to the luncheon. Thank you, Elizabeth!

Scholarship Committee Chair Justin Frisco welcomed all our guests.

Later Elizabeth led the singing of "Happy Birthday" to Steve Morris, who interviewed the honored scholars:

Cesar Caro, Cal State San Marcos
Isabelle Etore, Point Loma Nazarene
Elizabeth Gaitan, SDSU
Sol Griffin, USD
Kalo Grimsby, UCSD
Luke Loprete, SDSU
Emi Matsu, Point Loma Nazarene

Congratulations to a well-deserving group!

Skydiving Innovations on April 5, 2022!

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 16:51:58 GMT

The April 5 luncheon began with Karina Sousa, Club Secretary, ringing the bell and leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

Shaun McArdle led a meaningful invocation, and Doug Frost led singing of America the Beautiful, not All Along the Watchtower - which he really wanted to lead!

The members were thrilled by a presentation from Ron Lee, of Skydiving Innovations.

We celebrated the upcoming birthdays of Doug Frost, Steve Morris, and Shaun McArdle.

Then we got a grant recipient update update from Teresa Valenzuela and Azahalia Valdez of the San Diego Futures Foundation. Azahalia told us she had been involved with Kiwanis since childhood, so it felt like she was coming full circle to attend our luncheon.

Fun times were had by all!

Early Bird Kiwanians Meet for Breakfast!

Karina Sousa — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 14:30:00 GMT

A group of Kiwanians met for breakfast at the Broken Yolk in the Gaslamp Quarter on March 15th at 7:30 a.m.!

The early start didn’t seem to be a problem with the vibrant members and guests in attendance.

It was great to see Tom Bauer and Luis Ocana in the house! Jim Floros outbid all for the dog toy + treat combo donated in honor of Ruby Sousa’s birthday.

Brian Krause was late so was fined by being the Chairman of the Day but did a fabulous job introducing our fearless fencer, Judge Vic Bianchini!

Judge B, the world champion fencer, enlightened the group on the world of fencing. It was an amazing program and we all learned some valuable information!

Kiwanis Club of San Diego Visits the River Center at Grant Park

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 17:57:56 GMT

The Club went on an outing on 3/1/22 to the River Center at Grant Park, still under construction.

We donned hard hats and vests, and Rob Hutsel, President and CEO of the San Diego River Park Foundation, led us on a tour through the construction site, as we imagined what was to come.

Afterwards we enjoyed a box lunch nearby, and President Mike Boland asked the Club to open their hearts and wallets, giving all collected money directly to the San Diego River Park Foundation.

A fun outing for all involved -- looking forward to more Kiwanis adventures!

Partners Therapeutic Horsemanship and Boys and Girls Club join the Kiwanis Club Luncheon

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 20:48:50 GMT

What a whirlwind it's been -- we were back in person at the Admiral Baker Clubhouse for our luncheon 2/8/22.

President Mike Boland rang the bell to begin the event.

Ricardo Sandoval led the invocation, asking us to each reflect on how the pandemic is affecting us all.

Doug Frost led us in singing "America the Beautiful."

Mike Boland introduced and welcomed our speaker from Partners Therapeutic Horsemanship - Bobbi Buettgenbach. Partners Executive Director Karen Crampton also attended and answered questions.

We inducted new member Jeremy Alexander to the Club -- welcome, Jeremy!

We were happy to celebrate these member birthdays:

Heather Robinson - 2/1
David Gugerty - 2/5
Tim Callan - 2/9
Glen Honig - 2/14
Lauren Cook - 2/21
Vic Bianchini - 2/21
Scofield Hage - 2/24

We also got an update from the Boys and Girls Club. They received a centennial grant pre-pandemic but construction was halted at the time. Thank you to our member Ricardo Sandoval for the update and his guest Connie Alvarez.

As is customary, our members were very generous with their donations, including:

Mike Boland - who forgot his Kiwanis Pin

Elaine Boland - who is happy to be with the Kiwanis Club

Monica Ball - who loves Kiwanis

Ryan Callan - who was happy to have his son Ethan visiting

Ricardo Sandoval - who was happy to see guest Luis Ocana at the luncheon

Shaun McArdle - who updated us on a blood drive at the Point Loma Yacht Club

Karina Sousa - who is energized by the guests and new members plus the recent Kiwanis events

Joe Sigurdson - who had to leave early

Can't wait for our next event!

SDSU Athletics and MAAC Project join the Kiwanis Club on Zoom

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 19:05:27 GMT

Going virtual did not dampen the enthusiasm of the Kiwanis Club of San Diego on January 18, 2022.

President Mike Boland rang the bell to begin our virtual luncheon.

Judy Leitner led a moment of gratitude, particularly focused on the events at Congregation Beth Israel earlier this week in Colleyville, Texas.

Some of us sang along, although on mute, to "My Country 'Tis of Thee."

Justin Frisco introduced and welcomed our two speakers from SDSU Athletics - Curt Apsey and Derek Grice. They updated us on the soon-to-be Snapdragon Stadium.

We also got an update from the MAAC Project. They received a grant last year from the Kiwanis Club and used it to purchase umbrellas for their outdoor tables -- which are getting a lot of use now, especially as more students are sitting outside. Thank you to our guests, Elsa Roth and Tommy Ramirez.

Many of our members were very generous with their donations, towards the end of our Zoom meeting, including:

Mike Boland - celebrating a birthday

Jay Jeffcoat - watching the Chargers play in Vegas

Gordon Boerner - recovering from illness

Justin Frisco - happy to be in the Club

Ryan Callan - also happy to be part of Kiwanis

Susan Day - who purchased the items Mike auctioned off from his recent trip to the UK

If you missed the excitement, you can watch it all online:

We hope to see you soon!

Sell Out Crowd to Hear Ted Leitner and Honor Vic Bianchini

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 21:12:56 GMT

So much excitement at the Kiwanis Club of San Diego luncheon on December 7, 2021 at Admiral Baker Clubhouse.

President Mike Boland rang the bell and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Vice President Susan Day provided a meaningful invocation.

The group sang "God Bless America" with long-time member and Foundation Treasurer Doug Frost.

Many guests were welcomed in addition to our speaker Ted Leitner and honoree Vic Bianchini. They included Lt. Governor of Division 21 John Crawford, Lt. Governor of Division 11 Sergio Rosas and interclub members from the Kiwanis Clubs of Bonita, Sweetwater, Grantville-Allied Gardens, Tierrsanta and Hidden Valley-Escondido.

Chairman of the Day Vic Bianchini introduced speaker Ted Leitner.

Ted entertained the audience and answered questions.

We celebrated 2 Club birthdays with members in attendance:

Ricardo Sandoval - December 6
Judy Leitner - December 17

Carl Nettleton made a donation to the Club in honor of John Freeman, a supervisor of Carl's at the beginning of Carl's career.

Our final agenda item was to award the Don McKee Spirit of Kiwanis Award to Vic Bianchini. Brian Krause introduced Vic.

What a fantastic end of 2021 for the Kiwanis Club of San Diego!

Dan McAllister Visits the Kiwanis Club of San Diego

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 20:53:26 GMT

Our November 17th luncheon began with President Mike Boland ringing the bell and leading members in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Justin Frisco followed with the invocation.

Everyone present helped David Jay belt out "Grand Old Flag."

Our guests were welcomed, and Brian Krause warmly introduced speaker Dan McAllister, San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector, a former member of the Club.

There was only one birthday to celebrate -- Brian Krause on November 30th. The Club is looking forward to socializing with him on his birthday after an afternoon service project at the Burn Institute.

Many members had fines to pay and events to pay tribute to, including:

Doug Frost who was happy to return to a luncheon in person.
Judy Leitner who just returned from a vacation in her hometown state of Texas.
Karina Sousa who celebrated both her parents' birthdays with a family trip to Hawaii.
Carl Nettleton who just attended the California Economic Summit and whose daughter just passed the bar.
Mike Boland whose daughter competed successfully in the National Championships for American Saddlebred.
Brian Krause who has a birthday coming and 15 years as a member of the Club.
David Gugerty who has accidentally kept the "fine free pass" for a long while, having just returned to the country.
Both Jay Jeffcoat and Brian Krause generously pledged hospitality passes to SDSU Basketball to the Foundation.

We heard an update and presented a check to Carter Anderson of the Monarch School.

She shared this moving video as well:

If you missed it, you can watch all the fun on our Zoom recording:

I Love a Clean San Diego Joins the Kiwanis Club Luncheon

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 19:51:40 GMT

Prime rib was on the menu at the Club Luncheon November 3, 2021.

President Mike Boland rang the bell and led the Club in the Pledge of Allegiance. Jim Melvin gave a moving invocation, asking us to remember those who are no longer with us. Jay Jeffcoat introduced some of us to "Columbia Gem of the Ocean," and we hope to sing it again soon!

Chairman of the Day Ryan Callan helped us welcome Valerie Lowe and Maren Kavanagh from I Love a Clean San Diego.

We were pleased to get an update from the Foundation for the Children of the Americas from Jose Gonzalez and present him with a check.

If you didn't attend, you can catch it all on the Zoom recording:

San Diego Kiwanis Club Welcomes the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 18:59:51 GMT

A fun time was had by all at the October 19, 2021 Club Luncheon.

President Mike Boland started off the meeting by ringing the bell and leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Next up was Shaun McArdle's Invocation. A rousing chorus of "God Bless America" was up next, led by Doug Frost.

Chairman of the Day Justin Frisco introduced the speaker, Craig Dado, of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, who spoke about Breeder's Cup.

We celebrated October birthdays:

Gordon Boerner - 10/1
Susan Day - 10/3
John Rush - 10/7
Dick Shaw - 10/14
Jay Jeffcoat - 10/16
Monica Ball - 10/19
Gary Knight - 10/26

Jay Jeffcoat was honored with a Diamond Level George F. Hixson Fellowship for his support of Kiwanis and the community.

And, Capt Randy Morgan USN (Ret) was presented with a check for the Seal Family Foundation.

If you missed the fun, you can catch it all on our Zoom recording:

Staying Classy (again!) with the San Diego Kiwanis Club

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 19:31:55 GMT

President Mike Boland presided over the San Diego Kiwanis Club's Annual Installation meeting. Brian Krause and Karina Sousa hosted, reprising their roles from "Anchorman."

President Boland led the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by Justin Frisco's invocation.

Carl Nettleton was in attendance to celebrate his September birthday, but Claire LeBeau was missed.

Legion of Honor awards were given to:

Shaun McArdle - 31 years
Jim Melvin - nearly 50 years (in January)

Distinguished Service Awards were given to:

Glen Honig
Sally Hazzard
Heather Robinson

The William A. Dunlap Fellowship was awarded to:

David Jay
Steve Morris

The George F. Hixson Fellowship was awarded to

Jay Jeffcoat
Gordon Boerner

And, Gordon Boerner was presented with his Hixson by our newest member Sanam Charlton, who was also recognized for her fast track to full membership.

The 2021-2021 Club Board was installed by Division 11 Lt. Governor Gary Trieschman and includes:

President	Mike Boland
Immediate Past President	Judy Leitner
Vice President	Susan Day
Club Secretary	Karina Sousa
Club Treasurer	Ryan Callan
Class of 2022	Gary Knight
	Gordon Boerner
Class of 2023	Glen Honig
	Brian Krause
Class of 2024	Monica Ball
	Justin Frisco

If you missed the fun or want to check it out again, you can watch the video:

Looking forward to seeing you October 5th at our next luncheon!

The Club Hears SD Infrastructure Updates From NAV-WAR

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 16:34:39 GMT

The Club eased into its second meeting in August with a robust lineup and some great events on the horizon. President Mike Boland rang the bell and welcomed everyone to the meeting before making sure the newly acquired “Talking Stick” was in a prominent position.

Club member Justin Frisco delivered the invocation and instead of the Kiwanis Club singing a song to kickstart the meeting – they listened to a great “rap” from Kiwanis International. It’s not often you see a 100-year-old Club really enjoy a stylized rap performance.

https://youtu.be/8lCtK2Pc7IM

President Boland introduced the speaker for the day – Greg Geisen who is leading the Facilities Plans & Revitalization for the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command.

Greg gave a great presentation with slide show that discussed the plans for the Old Town Campus. The Naval Base Point Loma Old Town Campus is home to Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), which needs new mission-capable and modern facilities to support its cyber security mission. The Navy is considering plans to maximize the value of approximately 70.5 acres of Navy-owned underutilized property at the Old Town Campus to support NAVWAR needs. NAVWAR provides $3.2 billion annually to the San Diego regional economy. The potential redevelopment would bring additional economic benefits to the region through the construction and operation of new commercial, residential, and transportation facilities.

After a robust question and answer period Mike thanked Mr. Geisen for his time and invited him to come back and give updates anytime in the future.

The Bill’s Bucks portion of the meeting was up next, and members were very cheerful givers! Joe Sigurdson had lots of great news about Boys2Men, and Ryan Callan shared his recent travel news and was fined for failing to bring back an item for the auction!

The Club was reminded they have some great events coming up and are encouraged to attend as many as possible:

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Kiwanis YouTube Channel and follow us on Facebook (@SDKiwanis)

San Diego Kiwanis Club Returns to Admiral Baker

Sat, 07 Aug 2021 02:46:39 GMT

On August 3^rd the SDKC returned to the Admiral Baker Clubhouse & Golf Course for the first regular in person meeting of 2021. President Boland rang the bell to start the luncheon and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Club member Karina Sousa shared the Invocation and helped Doug Frost lead the attendees in “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”

The Bill’s Bucks portion of the meeting was again robust as people donated happy and sad dollars in honor of longtime Club member Bill Gibbs who attended meetings until shortly before his death at 106 years of age. During the donation segment at meetings, he would give a dollar (or more!) and say, “I’m still here!”

President Boland appointed Club member Carl Nettleton as the Chairperson of the Day. Carl extended the speaking invitation to Nancy Gudiño from Cross Border Xpress CBX. Unfortunately, Nancy was not able to join the luncheon and Carl filled in for her after she graciously shared her slide show and notes with him. Carl was familiar with the project and shared insights he had learned as well.

We hope to see you soon Nancy!

Club member Chuck Day was at the luncheon and represents Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. They were a recipient of a SD Kiwanis Club Community Impact Grant in 2020-2021 and Chuck wanted to update the members on how the money was being used to assist families who have sick children and are living at the House. We appreciate all RMHC is doing for children and families in need and is a big reason the SDKC turns out for Red Shoe Day every year!

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Annual Awards and Installation Luncheon on September 23^rd which will feature Brian Krause (Brian Burgundy) and Karina Sousa (Karina Corningstone) as the hosts of the “Anchor Man” themed presentation. You won’t want to miss it!

The Club is Back Together ~ At Last!

Sat, 24 Jul 2021 01:35:23 GMT

It was a great day on Wednesday, July 20^th as the San Diego Kiwanis Club met for their first IN-PERSON luncheon meeting in over 18 months! Spirits were high as members started arriving early for the Annual Meeting of the Club. Warm greetings and hugs were exchanged, and everyone picked out festive leis for the occasion while they caught up with dear friends.

President Mike Boland rang the official Kiwanis Bell and after establishing a quorum was present he went straight into the meeting agenda for the day where the Annual Meeting minutes of the July 21, 2020, meeting were approved. Mr. Boland read the slate of the Club Officers and Directors and called for a vote. And there was no suspense as the Club gratefully accepted and voted their affirmation of the presented slate!

Election of 2021/2022 Club Officers and the Class of 2024 Club Board of Directors

Mike Boland, President

Judy Leitner, Immediate Past President

Susan Day, Vice President

Karina Sousa, Club Secretary

Ryan Callan, Club Treasurer

2022 - Gordon Boerner, Gary Knight

2023 - Glen Honig, Brian Krause

2024 - Monica Ball, Justin Frisco

Welcome to our new and returning members of the Club Board – we appreciate your service!

With the business portion of the day taken care of it was time to celebrate with more lighthearted subjects. Having just returned from vacation and in the tradition of the Club when you do, President Boland presented a Native American talking stick for the Club Raffle and the bidding was intense from the start!

While several people bid, it came down to a heated battle between David Jay and Jay Jeffcoat who both wanted the item. In a classy Kiwanis manner, they decided to purchase it for the Club to keep and have at its meetings.

Thank you gentlemen!

And since it was called a “talking stick” and it was time for the Bill’s Bucks portion of the meeting, everyone wanted a chance to hold it while they put in their happy or sad dollars.

With time for just a quick HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Chuck Day we moved into the final portion of the meeting.

Long time member and SUPER Club supporter Dick Shaw was in attendance and was awarded a life-time Honorary Membership in the Club and will not pay dues for the rest of his life! His membership, legal advice, and general support to both the Club and Foundation has been invaluable over many years and the San Diego Kiwanis Club can literally say it wouldn’t be same or even AROUND if not for the efforts of this amazing gentleman. Thank you for your service Dick Shaw!

Mana De San Diego Joins the Club for a PACKED Meeting!

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 18:54:44 GMT

The San Diego Kiwanis Club did not have its usual first Tuesday meeting in June due to Memorial Day, so it really made the SECOND Tuesday lunch count with a great speaker, guests, and activities! President Mike Boland opened the meeting shortly after 12:00 pm with the ringing of the official Kiwanis bell. Club member Gordon Boerner presented the invocation which set the tone for the rest of the meeting.

Guests Mary Darling from SDSU was welcomed and she thanked the Club for their continued “Aztec Zeal” as the stadium site continues its construction project. Gordon stepped back in to introduce his guest Sanam Charlton, who is the Youth Services Managing Coordinator with Just in Time for Foster Youth.

President Boland handed the gavel to Chairperson of the day – Judy Leitner who was thrilled to introduce her guests and the speaker for the day from Mana De San Diego. Samantha Jimenez, who is the Executive Administrative Assistant for the organization was in place to assist with the technical aspects of the presentation for Executive Director, Dr. Inez González Perezchica.

Dr. Perezchica told the Club more about Mana De San Diego which began in 1986, when five insightful local Latinas recognized the significant need for a unifying force – a strong Latina voice advocating for a greater Latina presence and a deeper Latina involvement in the educational, economic, political, and social arenas.

Those pioneering and resourceful women created that unifying force and voice by establishing the San Diego Chapter of MANA, a national Latina organization whose mission is to empower Latinas through education, leadership development, advocacy, and community service.

MANA short for “Hermana”, the Spanish word for sister, is a dynamic sisterhood of Latinas bound together by common history, culture, language, and goals.

Eri Nall joined the meeting to talk about what is being done and continues to be done with the funds from the San Diego Kiwanis Club grant award. Eri has been a Counselor with the San Diego Unified School District for over 15 years and had a lot to say. She zoomed in from a classroom and walked the members through the different programs, resources and materials that have been provided in the last 12-months by the Club as well as pointing out other curriculum items that have been gifted in the past. The Club could not be happier with what she is doing to help the children of San Diego.

If Club members missed recent events they are probably sad. Mike Boland was happy to share that the in-person Summer Social at Karina Sousa’s place in Crown Point was a wild success with 20 current and prospective Club members rotating in and out of the meet-up. Thank you to Karina for her gracious hosting!

The fines, and happy/sad dollars were next with a few members being called out. Jay Jeffcoat seems to be quite the man about town with a video clip from a local news station being shown of Jay discussing the Padres. There was no mention of the Club, so he was asked to pony up some cash. Which he did willingly!

The Club also saw photo of its NEWEST member (we hope) baby Scotty West LeBeau who was welcomed by parents Claire and Grant on May 30th and while we will not show it here for privacy reasons – she is an amazingly cute baby! Congrats to the LeBeau’s!

We will take July 6th off due to the Independence Day Holiday and see everyone back IN PERSON at the Club’s Annual Meeting on July 20th at the Bali Hai Restaurant.

"Say Their Names" Memorial Exhibit Comes to San Diego

Fri, 21 May 2021 00:46:49 GMT

Club President Mr. Mike Boland opened the meeting and after the pledge and invocation the tone was set nicely by a great video from Kiwanis International. Follow THIS LINK for the reason WHY we ALL work so hard for children!

President Boland recognized the Bonita Kiwanis Club who had members at the meeting for an Interclub and Bonita President Peter Matz introduced his crew and highlighted some of their activities. Mr. Boland then handed the reins over to the Chairperson for the day, Judy Leitner. Judy was thrilled to introduce Gaidi Finnie, the Executive Director of the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art.

Mr. Finnie shared the purpose of the museum and how the contributions of African Americans to the art world is well documented. He is excited about new opportunities to experience some of the best art the country has produced. The SDAAMFA features art that is original, thought-provoking, interesting, and most of all a little something for everyone.

The newest offering is the "Say Their Names" Memorial Exhibit which is a memorial honoring persons who have died at the hands of those perpetuating injustice and systemic racism. This grassroots exhibit had its start in Portland Oregon and is an outgrowth of the protest that took place nationwide in 2020. The informal outcry is now an organization called the "Say Their Names Memorial" In San Diego, the exhibit will also recognize local Civil Rights advocates who have worked to level the playing field. While the "Say Their Names" exhibit has been shown in over 25 cities. This is the first exhibition south of Los Angeles County.

During the BILL$ Buck$ portion of the meeting the Club took in some hefty happy and sad dollars with Gordon Boerner paying handsomely for missing the previous SDSU luncheon presentation. And he calls himself an Aztec?

In case anyone had forgotten it was Membership Month we shared highlights and upcoming opportunities for the Club.

Everyone was excited to be reminded about the IN-PERSON SOCIAL coming up on Friday, 21st and attendance registrations have surged. We cannot wait to be in person for some laughs and stories by the beach. Thanks to Karina Sousa for hosting us!

Just a reminder to everyone that we have two “NO MEETING” Tuesdays coming up so make a note.

We Can't Wait for the NEW SDSU Mission Valley Campus!

Fri, 07 May 2021 23:57:18 GMT

The Zoom Room was abuzz on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, as the Club got ready to welcome Gina Jacobs, the Associate Vice President for the SDSU Mission Valley Development. President Mike Boland rang the bell and members took part in the pledge of allegiance.

After Mike reminded everyone that May is MEMBERSHIP month for us, Club member Lauren Cook read the invocation:

With are friends beside us and no person beneath us, with the bonds of Kiwanis between us and our worries behind us, with our goals before us, and no task beyond us, with a thirst for knowledge, and a dream of a disease-free world, we are thankful for our Kiwanis friends and the meeting we are about to have. Let us offer thanks for our circumstances and blessings for one another and for absent friends.

Jay Jeffcoat was appointed the chairperson of the day and there was no one more suitable to introduce Ms. Jacobs. While Mr. Jeffcoat thanked her for her efforts on the behalf of the University he took the moment to sneak in some SDSU sports references as well. Gina’s full bio can be found in full HERE.

Ms. Jacobs thanked everyone for their well wishes upon her return to speak to the club. She noted that SDSU is in the process of tearing down the old MV stadium will working simultaneously on a smaller (35,000 person) venue. The University is hopeful that it will be completed in time for the 2022 football season in the fall of next year. Gina noted that the site is more than a stadium and will also include residential units, office and research space, shops space, parks and recreational areas and an Innovation Center.

The club was excited to find they were seeing the new slide show before most others and had a lot of questions about how things would ultimately look. One thing is clear, everyone is eagerly awaiting the grand opening.

After noting the May Birthdays, members took a moment to give happy or sad dollars (Bill$ Buck$) in honor of feted Club member Bill Gibbs who attended meetings until shortly before his death at 106 and always gave money to the Club because he was still ALIVE!

Club Engagement Director Karina Sousa contributed $100 considering her upcoming birthday and time spent in the Club while other where thankful for trips, acts of service, and even their own organizations. After collecting funds, we welcomed Connor Leone from ECOLIFE who thanked the Club for its recent gift that allows them to continue their work with aquaponic indoor fish tanks that provide food for children. More info HERE

After member news and a review of upcoming events Mr. Boland rang the bell to end the meeting. Everyone is encouraged to register for the Tuesday, May 18th event which will feature the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art and their traveling exhibit, Say Their Names which will be coming to the Martin Luther King Promenade in July 2021.

San Diego Kiwanis Club Member "Power Hour"

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 21:33:23 GMT

Tuesday, April 20th was a big day for the San Diego Kiwanis Club as it took some “me” time and concentrated on Club opportunities and elements which might have been forgotten while we dealt with a global pandemic.

Club President Mike Boland opened the meeting and thanked everyone for being there on day set aside to refresh. We were honored to have Jeremy Alexander from the Salvation Army with us, and he gave a lovely invocation. We hope to see more of Jeremy in the future…perhaps as a member? Afterwards Mr. Boland invited Club member Justin Frisco to take over duties as the Chairman of the Day.

Justin was happy to introduce Bernard Mauricia from Oncology and Kids, which is an organization that provides safe spaces for children affected by cancer and their families to create lasting memories, forge lifelong friendships, and build the resiliency they need to heal. They are a recipient of a Kiwanis Club of San Diego Community Impact Grant and Justin was a supporter of their application. Bernard thanked the club for their support and told us how the money would be used to support children.

Club Program Director Karina Sousa took the reins and highlighted upcoming birthdays in addition to events and the upcoming Governor’s visit. The Club’s member survey is still being circulated and if you have not submitted yours – you have another chance. SURVEY HERE

The Club then took time to discuss and highlight volunteer opportunities, committee assignments and most of all Club membership as we move into the possibility of more, in person events.

We hope to see everyone on Tuesday, April 4th for our session: SDSU Mission Valley: Built for San Diego with Gina Jacobs!

See you soon!

Kiwanis Serves the Children of the World and Welcomes Just in Time for Foster Youth

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 20:37:41 GMT

The San Diego Kiwanis Club was ready for April when President Boland rang in the meeting on April 6, 2021. With a packed house, he lost no time in inviting everyone to settle themselves and led the Club in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a timely invocation.

Mr. Boland welcomed guests including Michelle Castillo with San Diego State University and recognized Club member Sally Hazzard who recently moved to Palm Springs and is still joining the group via ZOOM. Mike called on Club Board Director Gordon Boerner to introduce the day’s special speakers. Gordon was thrilled for the Club to meet Jennifer Telitz and Caitlin Radigan from Just in time for Foster Youth, whose mission is to engage a caring community to help transition age foster youth achieve self-sufficiency and well-being.

As the Investor Relations Manager, Ms. Telitz was able to highlight the programs and funding that JIT is involved with and its impact on the community. Ms. Radigan wrapped it up by sharing her experience both as a foster youth as well as the current Investor Outreach Specialist. The presentation was excellent and reminded members that the Kiwanis mission is to serve the children of the world.

President Boland thanked our guest speakers and invited them to stay for the remainder of the meeting if they had the time or inclination – which they did!

Karina Sousa, the Club’s Program Director posted the tally for March events and there was a three-way tie for perfect attendance! And let’s be clear – the tally includes member meetings, service events and socials. For the month of March, we can congratulate Gordon Boerner, Doug Frost, and jay Jeffcoat for their dedication to the Club and its events. Thank you Gentlemen!

While Mr. Boerner was feeling rather good about his efforts for the Club, Ms. Sousa moved the meeting along to the “FINES” portion of the day. Club members that receive community recognition and don’t mention the San Diego Kiwanis Club are always found and fined. This month one only had to flip through the pages of Giving Back Magazine to find a few familiar faces!

Club members Jim Floros and Gordon Boerner received some nice coverage but there was not a mention of Kiwanis to be found!

Ms. Sousa reminded everyone that the Club’s socials are fun and shouldn’t be missed. A fact proven by photos from the in-person Social at the Kaiserhof in Ocean Beach at the end of March.

After happy and sad dollars and a preview of upcoming meetings and activities the Club called their meeting to an end. Everyone is encouraged to follow the Club’s Facebook page and interact with posts!

Michael Brown From the Port of San Diego Gives Updates on the Waterfront

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 22:55:29 GMT

Club members showed up early on Tuesday, March 16 and by the time President Mike Boland rang the bell it was just two minutes past noon and everyone was ready to go! After the Pledge and Invocation, Mr. Boland welcomed guests which included Lieutenant Jeremy Alexander from the Salvation Army as well as Holt Mebane from the Scripps Ranch Kiwanis Club. Congrats to Holt as well as our own Club member Gordon Boerner for recently forming the Scripps Ranch Club. We think this count as your first Interclub!

San Diego residents are hugely interested in the Port of San Diego and any waterfront plans so everyone was eager to hear from guest speaker Michael Brown. Some facts on him:

Michael Brown joined the Port of San Diego as the Vice President of Marketing & Communications in July 2019 and oversees the Marketing & Communications and Parks & Recreation Departments. Brown’s career is divided between the private and public sectors. His private sector experience includes FleishmanHillard with Starbucks, Nike, Savannah College of Art & Design, Georgia Natural Gas, and Oregon State University’s College of Engineering as clients. In the public sector, Brown served as a political appointee in the Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush administrations. Most recently, he was the chief marketing officer for the City of Norfolk, Virginia.

The Port of San Diego manages San Diego Bay and 34 miles of its natural waterfront for the people of California. The Port was established in 1962 under the Port Act and is charged with implementing the Tidelands Trust Doctrine. For over fifty years, the Port's five member cities - Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City and San Diego - have worked together to develop and promote commerce, navigation, recreation and fisheries on and around San Diego Bay. Self-funded, the Port contributes billions annually to San Diego’s economy, benefiting the community, local businesses and employees.

Michael’s 33 slide power point presentation highlighted the local assets as well as current plans to expand and preserve key areas of the waterfront. Many listening to the presentation were surprised to find that the roughly one out of every 10 imported vehicles in the US comes in through our National City terminal. And, that the largest portion of the port’s commerce is bananas!

We appreciated the information as well as Michael sticking around to take questions from the members on an updated waterfront master plan, the new pier leases, when big ship cruising would resume and what is happening to our dear Maritime Museum.

Check the website for our upcoming events but don’t miss our IN PERSON SOCIAL on Wednesday, March 31st at Kaiserhof in Ocean Beach.

Be sure to subscribe to our Kiwanis YouTube Channel as well as following us on Facebook. See you next on Tuesday April 6, 2021 with our special guest Just in Time for Foster Youth.

The Kiwanis Club Recognizes Student Scholars!

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 23:34:22 GMT

President Mike Boland started March with a bang by starting the meeting RIGHT at noon on March 2nd 2021! After the Pledge of Allegiance, Mr. Boland shared and Irish Blessing in honor of the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday.

After a few housekeeping items Mike kicked it over to Chairperson of the day – Steve Morris to introduce the Kiwanis Scholarship awardees who were on hand to receive recognition. It has become a tradition to talk with the scholars about their journey through higher education and the experiences they’ve had and despite being virtual, the students all shared their personal stories. While many acknowledged that school hasn’t been easy during the COVID pandemic, they all found bright areas of learning and educational experiences to highlight and share with the Club.

This one time a write up just isn’t enough to do their words justice so we encourage to watch their video from the meeting which is on our YouTube channel.

March 2, 2021 Scholars Luncheon

While the scholars took a break we had a moment to recognize the ONLY Club Birthday in March which is non other than JOE SIGURDSON!

Be sure to subscribe to our Kiwanis YouTube Channel as well as following us on Facebook. See you next on Tuesday March 16, 2021 with Michael Brown from the Port of San Diego!

The Club Starts February with KPBS

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 23:21:58 GMT

The first San Diego Kiwanis club meeting of February was called to order at 12:04 on Tuesday the 2nd by President Mike Boland. Once the Invocation was completed he welcomed Chairperson of the day Club member Brian Krause who has a long-standing relationship with KPBS. But first, David Jay introduced Darian Bennett and Shelli Brown from Rady Children’s Hospital to tell us what they’ve being doing after being awarded grant funds from the San Diego Kiwanis Club & Foundation. Darian and Shelli took a few moments to talk about what they were able to accomplish with the resources given through the recent grant and thank the Club again for their generosity.

Chairman Krause introduced Nancy Worlie who is the interim general manager for KPBS. She has been with KPBS for 17 years. She served as the associate general manager for content & communications for five years prior to being named general manager. In this role she managed news, programming, public and media relations, events, government relations, human resources, and strategic planning.

As Nancy is a SDSU alumni like many Club members she was welcomed with open arms and thanked for the service KPBS provides to the region. Ms. Worlie thanked the Club for its interest and support and reminded everyone that KPBS news serves the people of the San Diego region with trustworthy, in-depth information that allows the community to hold its leaders accountable. They show how global and local current affairs change lives, and how San Diego changes the world. She reiterated that KPBS tells its stakeholders more than just what is happening – they tell you why its happening.

Be sure to subscribe to our Kiwanis YouTube Channel as well as following us on Facebook. See you next on Tuesday March 2, 2021 with our Annual Scholars Luncheon!

Kiwanis and Junior Achievement Share a Mission to Inspire Young People

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 22:47:56 GMT

President Mike Boland welcomed Club members to the meeting and after the Pledge of Allegiance shared the following thought as an invocation:

The Club was excited to again welcome guests including several Interclub attendees in addition to Lt. Governor Gary Trieshman. After networking and sharing, Club and Foundation member Steve Morris stepped in as Chairperson of the day with the first order of business to introduce our guest speaker Sidd Vivek from Junior Achievement of San Diego County.

Mr. Vivek is the President and CEO of of Junior Achievement Vivek after joining the agency in 2019. He held various positions over the past eleven years at the YMCA of San Diego County and last served them as director of strategic partnerships. Prior to joining the YMCA, Vivek held multiple leadership positions in Washington, D.C., focusing on education policy and the intersection of government, industry and community-based organizations.

Sid shared that Junior Achievement’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed. He further explained that much of their success comes from community volunteers who not only deliver our lessons, but share their experience. Young people leave about the importance of education, as well as critical life skills. Preparation involves JA’s proven lessons that promote financial capability, work and career readiness, and business ownership.

The San Diego Kiwanis Club established Laurels for Leaders to recognize and honor the high leadership accomplishment of the student body presidents of San Diego County high schools. The program culminates in an annual luncheon at which the student leaders are presented certificates of recognition, a distinguished speaker brings them a message on leadership, For the first time in its 63-year history it will be held virtually rather than in person.

Be sure to subscribe to our Kiwanis YouTube Channel as well as following us on Facebook. See you next on Tuesday February 2, 2021 with Nancy Worlie from KPBS!

The San Diego Kiwanis Club Starts 2021 With A Story…

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 21:51:11 GMT

President Mike Boland welcomed the Club to a new year on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 and led the Pledge of Allegiance with members following along on Zoom. Mr. Boland gave the invocation and welcomed five guests from the Granville-Allied Gardens Club who were attending as an Interclub. We always love having Clubs visit and the Butterstein’s are favorites!

After reminding attendees that the meeting was being streamed live on Facebook he welcomed Club Vice President Susan Day as the Chairperson of the day. Ms. Day spoke briefly about a local non-profit that had been invited to speak and how impressed she was with their mission and then welcomed Emily Moberly, the founder of Traveling Stories.

Emily started off by asking all attendees to share their favorite book and it was interesting to hear what publication Club members and guests held near and dear to their hearts. The replies were broad ranging and it was equally as fascinating to hear the story behind the book choice as it was the title itself. Ms. Moberly shared her story as a teacher in Honduras where she asked a group of students to tell her their favorite books. And in a group the size of the Kiwanis club only one student raised their hand. Which began Emily’s lifetime passion to bring stories and reading to children around the globe.

President Boland moved into the next portion of the meeting which included welcoming two SD Kiwanis Community Funding Grant Recipients with Kaye Kelley from the Home of Guiding Hands and Lauren Welch from Urban Corps of San Diego. Both organizations were recent recipients of funding from the San Diego Kiwanis Club & Foundation and took a few moments to update members on how the resources were being used to help children.

There are two club members with January birthdays and President Boland is one of them while joining him is longtime member Drue Jordan! While Mike determined just how much money he owned in fines Club members donated cash in honor of Bill Gibbs. Bill lived to be 106 years old and attended luncheons until the end where he would donate a dollar and say, “I’m Still here!” Members gave in honor of a retirement, a new job, a former mentor, the Laurels for Leaders Society, and a variety of other worthy items.

After announcements and updates the Club dispersed and the planning continued for more upcoming meetings and events.

Be sure to subscribe to our Kiwanis YouTube Channel as well as following us on Facebook. See you next on Tuesday, January 19th with Sidd Vivek from Junior Achievement.

President's Message ~ See you in 2021~

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 22:42:52 GMT

My Fellow San Diego Kiwanians,

As we conclude this tumultuous year, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all your efforts in continuing the good work of our club. The Holiday Season is a great time to take stock of life’s many struggles, successes, and inevitable changes. Let us also take a moment to be reflective of our good fortune and have pride in our club for a year of courage, adaptability, and bold community impact. We have all had to lean forward into a headwind that has brought the many changes due to the pandemic, and with that each of you has stood for the Kiwanis object of the Golden Rule and primacy to the human and spiritual, rather than the material values of life.

It has been my great honor to follow in the footsteps of our many great leaders, chief among them Judy Leitner, who swiftly guided our club to a safe harbor in March/April, and to our temporary virtual meeting framework. Let me also acknowledge and thank Karina Sousa, who through her love of this club, and high professional acumen, adapted our on-going club messaging to make for a fun interactive and inspiring platform. Thank you to everyone for responding to the club survey with ideas and suggestions for how best to organize our Teams and efforts for 2021. I speak for myself, the Club, Susan Day, and the Board of Officers, when I say we all look forward to a post COVID-19 reality and getting back to our in-person fun filled meetings! And of course, continuing the good work for our community, as we enter our club’s next century of giving.

Well, they say we are almost through it. We certainly are through most of the uniqueness that was this year, and now we get to enjoy the simplicity of slowing down prior to entry into another journey filled twelve months. I hope everyone can appreciate how much we were able to accomplish in this year. I am reminded of the Community Impact Grants that were just approved by our great Kiwanis Foundation. With $95,000 committed to ten worthy organizations in just this last month alone, we can rest easy knowing kids throughout our Region will have on-going access to much needed resources. And while this year was tragic and difficult for so many, each and every one of you can take solace having played a vital role in our latest cycle of giving. I want to thank each of you and your families for supporting your efforts to serve our members and the greater community. I also would like to share how grateful I am to work with such an incredible group. You make life’s journey all the better.

Before I sign off allow me to draw your attention to our dear Bill Gibb’s and his enduring legacy of giving through the Salvation Army. The Bill Gibb’s Annual Memorial Red Kettle campaign would not be complete without the support of our members. As an Aviation Pioneer, Bill introduced so many to the magic of flight, and many more to the magic of community giving. He was one of our greatest Kiwanians and let us not forget his legacy.

Let's join here with Warm Hearts in Ringing the Red Kettle Bell in Bill’s Memory!

Please enjoy the coming week to refocus and concentrate on your families and loved ones. That is our purpose and why we are successful in the good work we do. Appreciate the simplicity of the time.

Happy Holidays and much gratitude to each of you.

Look forward to bringing in the New Year and helping support Literacy and Mentorship with our friends at “Travelling Stories” during our virtual club luncheon on January 5th, 2021.

With Warm Regards,

Mike Boland

2020-2021 Club President

The 12 Days of COVID...er...CHRISTMAS!

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 22:28:43 GMT

Club members were in fine spirits at their last meeting of the year as President Mike Boland called the meeting to order at 12:00p.m. Monica Ball led the invocation which reminded everyone of the season we are in and the benefits of a grateful spirit. To keep everyone in good humor Club member Lauren Cook sang a new version of a traditional classic with the 12 Days of COVID with members robustly joining in….at least on the choruses!

President Mike Boland was thrilled to welcome guest speaker and Club fan favorite Andy Carey from the U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership (BPP).

Andy Carey was named Executive Director of the U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership (BPP) in September 2008. The BPP is a binational membership organization that strengthens individuals and institutions that serve border communities so that they can achieve their individual missions in the region. BPP works to grow community philanthropy, leadership, and cross-border collaboration to increase the human and financial capital needed to address the complex issues facing the region. Since 2008, the BPP has grown to nearly 300 institutional members from across the U.S. and Mexico, training hundreds of civic leaders and dispersing over $150,000 in technical assistance. Additionally, BPP has engaged numerous national and international agencies to educate them about the actual realities and assets of the border region. He also serves as Adjunct Faculty member in the University of San Diego’s School on Leadership and Education Sciences, where he teaches a graduate level course in binational nonprofit management. Prior to joining the BPP, Andy served for 15 years at Kiwanis International. Andy served as a member of the Executive Management Team and was responsible for leading growth initiatives throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the South Pacific and led Kiwanis’ Worldwide Service Project initiative in Latin America to virtually eliminate Iodine Deficiency Disorders. He completed his baccalaureate degree in Political Science and Foreign Language, and his master’s degree in Latin American Studies at Purdue University. Andy is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

After Andy’s update the Club was challenged by member Monica Ball to keep the spirit of Bill Gibb’s alive with the annual Kiwanis Bill Gibbs Virtual Red Kettle Challenge which honors his 80 years of fundraising for the Salvation Army! You can link to the challenge and donate here:

RED KETTLE CHALLENGE

Club Member Karina Sousa put together some memories from previous seasons when the Club was able to meet in person. We are all looking forward to seeing each other sometime soon in the New Year.

Happy Holidays to everyone and a great New Year!

On the FIRST Day of December....the Kiwanis Club of San Diego met at NOON!

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 21:34:03 GMT

On the FIRST day of December the San Diego Kiwanis Club met for their bi-monthly noon meeting and enjoyed true fellowship and friends! President Mike Boland rang in the meeting with the official Kiwanis bell and invited everyone to join in the opening pledge and song. And what a song it was! In a nod to young and old the Club enjoyed the classic seasonal song “Little Drummer” presented as a duet from a 1977 video recording of Bing Crosby and David Bowie. It is too good to miss so we included it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9kfdEyV3RQ

Mr. Boland thanked members who had taken the Club Membership Survey which will help determine the activities and meetings we will have in 2021. At the time of this writing 23 members had participated and we are planning for full everyone to weigh in. Thanks to the following members for their input!

Alexandra Kritchevsky

Brian Krause

Carl Nettleton

David Gugerty

David Jay

Doug Frost

Gary Knight

Glen Honig

Gordon Boerner

Jim Floros

Jim Melvin

Judy Leitner

Justin Frisco

Karina Sousa

Lauren Cook

Michael Boland

Monica Ball

Sally Hazzard

Shaun McArdle

Steve Morris

Susan Day

Vic Bianchini

Chairman of the Day, Steve Morris introduced the program for the day which included his colleagues from the San Diego Food Alliance, Geertje Grootenhuis and Tida Infahsaeng. They shared the organization’s mission which is to cultivate a healthy, sustainable, and just food system in San Diego County. While the topic is vast areas of specific change include:

Healthy food access
Urban agriculture
Wasted Food Prevention & Recovery
Reducing barriers to farming
Sustainable local seafood
And a many more.

It was an eye opener for Club members to realize one of the biggest ways to create a workable food system for all is to focus on waste prevention and recovery. The US is the global leader in food waste as we discard nearly 40 million tons of food each year and we can all contribute to curbing that issue.

A refrigerator magnet was made available to members (below) and you can get yours by contacting the San Diego Food System Alliance.

The Club has three December birthdays and celebrated the following members with cheers and good wishes!

Sally Hazzard
Ricardo Sandoval
Judy Leitner

In case you have not heard we have a competition going on to see which member has the best noon meeting attendance for the year so far. So far, we have FOUR members with perfect attendance. Congrats to Doug Frost, Judy Leitner, Shaun McArdle, and Steve Morris – may the best member reign victorious.

You can see what happens by joining us on Tuesday, December 15 for our LAST noon meeting of 2020!

There is ALWAYS a Way to Join In!

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 23:29:36 GMT

The San Diego Kiwanis Club was back in form on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 to meet virtually and continue the Thanksgiving celebration. After the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation the group was excited to watch a video from San Diego’s Voices of our City Choir and their rendition of Stand by Me. The Voices of Our City Choir was created in response to the current San Diego housing crisis. Together, through music therapy, choir care, and advocacy, they are transforming the perception and experience of homelessness. Club Members have the opportunity to join their virtual holiday special virtually.

Elaine Allyn and Natasha Contreras from SDG&E were on hand to talk about rebates and money saving options involved with energy. Elaine is the Energy Efficiency Core program manager and was able to debunk some incorrect facts and about solar and upgraded appliances. Natasha is the Electric Vehicle Customer Engagement Program Manager which sees her and her team out in the community to engage and inform individuals about the savings to be had with an efficient car. Natasha also does her share or myth busting and directly spoke to the concept that potential consumers are scared by the thought of running out of electricity for their vehicle and having nowhere to recharge. She also highlighted a September announcement that will see SDG&E build charging infrastructure for electric buses, trucks, and other vehicles.

The Club fines portion of the day made some attendees nervous when it was suggested we could raise money by fining members who have yet to complete the Club 2020 Member Survey which has been distributed several times. It was agreed to give everyone ONE more chance and the Club Administrator announced responses were already coming in before the meeting was ended! Member Gordon Boerner announced the newly formed Scripps Ranch Kiwanis Club was promoting a virtual Magic Show and asked everyone to support their efforts. So here you go everyone:

The meeting ended right on time and we look forward to seeing everyone again on Tuesday, December 1st!

Watch the full video of the luncheon below!

San Diego Kiwanis Club Foundation Grant Recipient Serves City Heights Youth

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 22:46:03 GMT

Thanksgiving month kicked off for the San Diego Kiwanis Club when President Mike Boland rang the opening bell on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. President Boland welcomed members and guests and asked Club Treasurer Ryan Callan to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Immediate Past President Judy Leitner then gave a warm invocation that set the tone of the meeting. Instead of a live/virtual singer the Club enjoyed a video from Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, who is an Indonesian American actress well known for her 2018 rendition of the National Anthem. And we could all see why!

President Boland was eager to welcome guests to the meeting as the first person he greeted was his mother and meeting visitor, Elaine Boland. He also was a happy to acknowledge Carla Camacho from Oceans Discovery Institute who was on hand to report on their recent grant award from the San Diego Kiwanis Club Foundation!

While October had a plethora of birthdays with 7 members celebrating milestones, this month does not have the same turn out. The sole November birthday member is Brian Krause. Brian thanked everyone for their warm wishes, especially Club Media Officer Karina Sousa who has great photos like the one below at her fingertips.

The Fines portion of the meeting was next and member Carl Nettleton was called out immediately. He was recently honored by the San Diego Press Club – and did not mention our Club at all! Carl was gracious and agreed to pay $20 – $10 dollars for each award! Congratulations!

During the following “Bill’s Buck’s” highlight on the agenda, Club members donated money to the Club in honor of their parents, good news and opportunities, past members and some just “because”.

Karina Sousa has been keeping track of attendance numbers for the Club and declared it time to announce the brand new “Member of the Month” award which will recognize attendance at Club meetings, online socials and volunteer opportunity events. As the drum rolled it was revealed that the first winner was…TWO PEOPLE! Members Steve Morris and Doug Frost tied with their involvement points and will share the honor.

Ocean Discovery Institute was on hand to talk about the recent grant they received from the San Diego Kiwanis Club Foundation and how it continues their work. The organization uses ocean science to empower young people from underserved urban communities of color to transform their lives, their community, and the world as science and conservation leaders. Working in the San Diego community of City Heights, they provide continuous science opportunities paired with mentoring and the tools to overcome challenges ensuring that young people unlock their potential. Their programs are provided at no cost to students. Ocean Discovery Institute is proud that their students believe that

A scientist is someone they can be.

They achieve because of it.

They lead by entering high-paying STEM fields and making a difference.

After thanking the presenters President Boland shared upcoming events and opportunities for members and a spontaneous backyard horticulture session took place as meeting attendees asked for and gave advice on residential planting and best practices. Perhaps seeing it was getting out of hand Mr. Boland ended the meeting and encouraged everyone to register for the next three events!

Watch the full video of the luncheon below!

Kiwanis and Yurts? You Don't Hear That Very Often

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 23:32:50 GMT

2020-2021 President Mike Boland rang the bell at 12:03 and the second meeting of October started for the San Diego Kiwanis Club. Mike welcomed everyone, and member Steve Morris, who recently joined the San Diego Food System Alliance as the Director of Development led the pledge of allegiance. The invocation was written by Club Member and UPLIFT Board Member Monica Ball who joined the meeting later and was read aloud by President Boland.

Dear God,

Today we thank you for bringing us together in Kiwanis as an earthly force for good. We pray for those whose health is compromised by the coronavirus or other health issues and those who have lost loved ones for any reason recently. We pray for our excellent health care workers, first responders, and other public servants who have bravely put themselves in harm’s way to protect us. We pray for those who are suffering from the economic impact of the virus, and for American ingenuity to rise and build back better. We pray to right racial equity wrongs of the past, unlock true opportunity for all and help everyone remember they possess a value & purpose, peace & freedom and joy & strength the world didn’t give them & the world can’t take away. All that comes from you God! We pray You help us love like You love, that means even people that don’t vote like we do.

Amen!

After an upbeat version of “Anchors Away” member Karina Sousa reminded everyone about ZOOM etiquette and then it was time to chat with attendees. Getting some “Interclub” vibes going it was great to see Melanie and Jim Nickel from the Ocean Beach Club and hear about their experience so far in 2020. The Nickels started OB’s popular Kite Festival which is traditionally held in the Spring and was eventually cancelled this year due to COVID-19. The OB Club is only a few years away from their centennial anniversary and we are looking forward to hearing more about it in the future. It was also nice to meet several of Club Vice President Susan Day’s colleagues from the Burn Institute including Leilani Stone, Loretta Turner and Tesa Haviland.

Ms. Sousa reminded everyone that Club Members are “encouraged” to make a donation to the Club each year on their birthdays and offered up the October birthday list for a second time!

Gordon Boerner
Susan Day
John Rush
Dick Shaw
Jay Jeffcoat
Paul Riggs
Monica Ball
Gary Knight

President Boland had to start the fines portion of the day be giving himself one for the wrong baseball attire as well as having a barking dog in the background. Who doesn’t these days? But the Club accepted his money and was glad to have it! Glen Honig had to leave early so he accepted a fine and others chimed in with theirs as well.

When it came to Happy Dollars Immediate Past President Judy Leitner put money in the pot for her niece’s recent engagement and Joe Sigurdson put $20 happy dollars in for the work Boys To Men is still doing during COVID-19. He shared photos of volunteers putting up yurts on the agency campground with money provided by the San Diego Kiwanis Club Foundation. He was excited to share their efforts and promised to report back on their progress.

Members were encouraged to fill out the membership survey which has been emailed to everyone. We would really like everyone to participate in the quick questionnaire which helps the Board shape the meetings and activities that the Club takes on. Karina Sousa shared that in the future there will be prizes for the most meetings attended as well as special socials and other Club volunteer and service opportunities.

At 12:45 President Boland welcomed Eli Strait, RN, BSN, CCRN who is the Burn Program Manager for the UCSD Burn Center. The first thing Eli shared with the group was exactly what NOT to put on a burn. And some of the home remedies we heard from our families are not as helpful as we thought. In fact, most home remedies will do more harm than good.

Eli shared information about the work done at the Burn Center because unfortunately, burn injuries continue to be one of the leading causes of unintentional death and injury in the US. And more tragically children and disabled individuals are especially vulnerable to burn injuries. It was tough to hear that over 70% of scalding burns in children are preventable.

We appreciate Eli joining us and educating the Club on a little discussed topic and thank member Susan Day at the San Diego Burn Institute for setting up the meeting.

After some quick housekeeping items and reminders for upcoming meetings the Mr. Boland rang the bell at 1:29 pm and the meeting adjourned.

Watch the full video of the meeting below!

The Kensington Restaurant Group Provides Lunch & A Speaker!

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 02:48:08 GMT

Anticipation was high for incoming President Mike Boland’s first official meeting! Once he sounded the bell Gordon Boerner led the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed Justin Frisco who delivered a warm invocation for the day.

Doug Frost led the song and kept it upbeat and after Karina Sousa reminded everyone about ZOOM etiquette the group was ready to go. As the program included a tasting element Judy Leitner was established as the Chairperson for the day and welcomed guest Lauren Passaro, who founded Kensington Café and co-owns Del Sur and The Haven Pizzeria on Adams Avenue with business partner Kate Grimes.

The tasting menu for the day gave attendees an option of a chicken, cheese, beef, bean/plantain, or veggie enchilada topped with a choice of green, red or mole sauce and accompanied with beans, rice, and chips. While people sampled their meals, Lauren shared her story with the group which included the anecdote of how she bought the Del Sur location from an ad on Craig’s List! Ms. Passaro highlighted the difficulties COVID-19 has posed for the restaurant industry as well as her locations in specific. She encouraged members to stop by anytime and thanked everyone for supporting local locations like hers. Everyone agreed to food was fantastic with the mole winning high praise from the eaters!

President Boland took a few minutes to recap the previous meeting which not only included the Club Installation of the Board but was wildly entertaining with skits and funny videos – all thanks to Brian Krause and Karina Sousa!

There are EIGHT birthdays in October:

Gordon Boerner
Susan Day
John Rush
Dick Shaw
Jay Jeffcoat
Paul Riggs
Monica Ball
Gary Knight

President Boland led the fines and Bill’s Bucks portion of the day which quite a bit more than normal as every Club member is encouraged to give a dollar for each year they have been alive and one for every year they have been a member. October is a great financial month for the club!

Karina Sousa shared some throwback Tidings which are the Kiwanis Club of San Diego’s newsletters from the past 100 years. The sample shared was from October 4, 1994, and Bruce Boland (Mike’s Dad!) was the Chairperson of the day. What a great memory for our second-generation Kiwanian President Mike Boland!

The meeting ended with some quiz questions to get the group ready for the next game night and one question stumped several people. The question was:

How many Kiwanis Objectives are there?

While everyone got some right it was clear we need a brush up on this topic. I bet well see this question again and hopefully get it right.

And the answers are:

● Object 1: To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.

● Object 2: To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.

● Object 3: To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business, and professional standards.

● Object 4: To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.

● Object 5: To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service and to build better communities.

● Object 6: To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and good will.

Stay well and strong and we will see you next time on October 20^th!

Watch the full video of the meeting below!

Staying Classy with the San Diego Kiwanis Club!

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 00:25:20 GMT

President Judy Leitner brought the San Diego Kiwanis Club’s Annual Installation meeting to order for the last time as the 2019-2020 President. Members and attendees were in a great mood as they anticipated the fun to be provided by Brian Krause and Karina Sousa with their second annual “Anchorman” themed awards and presentations.

Incoming 2020-2021 President Mike Boland led the Pledge of Allegiance and Steve Morris provided the invocation before President Leitner was invited back to the podium and recognized as a two-time Kiwanis President, past Foundation President, past Laurels for Leaders President, and past Division 11 Lieutenant Governor. Judy shared how honored she was to lead the Club during its 100^th Anniversary and highlighted some events from the year which was difficult and rewarding at the same time.

Mayor Faulconer sent a video of the proclamation that he issued in honor of the Club’s special day and then it was time for birthdays. Mr. Krause greeted each birthday member with some personalized zingers for each member.

September Member Birthdays:

Tom Bauer
Jim Floros
Claire LeBeau
Carl Nettleton

Claire LeBeau from STARPAL received a Distinguished Service Award for 2019-2020 and was thanked for her work on the Environmental Committee. Fellow September birthday buddy Carl Nettleton was honored with a Community Service Award which was much deserved.

Justin Frisco was happy to honor member Jim Melvin with his 45-year Kiwanis Legion of Honor Pin. Jim is a great asset to the Club and recruited both Judy Leitner and Justin himself to join the Club.

Justin Frisco was honored for his continued service to the San Diego Kiwanis Club Foundation which he served as President in 2018-2019 in addition to recognizing David Jay for his efforts as a Trustee and Board Secretary. Chuck Day and Steve Morris were also praised for their efforts to continue the legacy and financial soundness of the Foundation.

Doug Frost presented member Charlie Coleman with the Kiwanis Tablet of Honor and thanked him for his years of service to the Club in a variety of needed roles.

The hosts recognized other prominent Kiwanians who contributed in a significant manner to the Club during the first 100 years highlighting: Bill Gibbs, Walt Zitlau, Junior Todd, Ed Meese Tim O’Reilly, John Kizer, Gene Auerbach, Ethel, Corrinne, Conny Jamison, Norma Trost, and Charley Kakos who still has a day named after him here in town!

Karina Sousa was thrilled to present the William A. Dunlap Fellowship Award to Shawn McArdle and also took a moment to give him his 20-year Legion of Honor Pin! Shaun is a beloved Club member and always ready for fun.

Although District Secretary Mark McDonald was in attendance hosts Brian and Karina sidelined him and decided to install the 2020-2021 Board themselves. They thanked outgoing members for their service:

President Judy Leitner

Immediate Past President Brian Krause

Vice President Mike Boland

Club Secretary Karina Sousa

Club Treasurer Ryan Callan

Class of 2020 Susan Day

Danny Williams

Class of 2021 Joe Sigurdson

Jennifer Lim

Class of 2022 Sally Hazzard

Gary Knight

And then immediately ushered the 2020-2021 Board into place with an oath and proclamation.

President Mike Boland

Immediate Past President Judy Leitner

Vice President Susan Day

Club Secretary Gary Knight

Club Treasurer Ryan Callan

2021 Alexandra Kritchevsky

Heather Robinson

2022 Sally Hazzard

Karina Sousa

2023 Glen Honig

Brian Krause

Brian Krause honored 12-year Kiwanian Ryan Callan for his ongoing service to the Club as a past president and more recently the Club Treasurer. Mr. Callan was presented with a Hixon Fellowship Award and thanked the Club for its confidence in him.

Newly installed President Mike Boland took a few moments to share his vision for the next year and the future of the Club which featured a theme of the "2^nd Century of Service". He was presented with a Distinguished Service Award and thanked everyone for contributing their time and energy.

After announcements and “Bill’s Bucks” which are staples of every meeting, the meeting wound down as Club Secretary, Foundation Trustee and Kiwanis Expert Karina Sousa was awarded a Hixon Fellowship for her enormous efforts on behalf of the Club. THANK YOU, KARINA!

Then, with instructions to “Stay Classy San Diego” the meeting was adjourned, and everyone zoomed off.

See you next time on October 6^th!

Watch the amazing performance by Brian Burgundy + Karina Corningstone below!

100th Anniversary Celebration with Mayor Faulconer

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 20:23:56 GMT

The San Diego Kiwanis Club had a big day on September 1st as it celebrated its 100th Anniversary year and welcomed San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. Natalie Armenta from High Tech High led the pledge and Club member Gordon Boerner from US Bank followed with the invocation. President Leitner had the pleasure of welcoming multiple guests to the meeting which had over 65 attendees!

Guests included:

CNH Kiwanis District Secretary, Mark McDonald
Division 11 Lt. Governor Gary Trieschman
Members from the Grantville-Allied Gardens - George & Kathy Butterstein, Alan Young, Anne Rosser, and Joe Utschig
Members from the Scripps Ranch Kiwanis Club Craig Bratlien, Tom/Lynn Bilotta, Ken Dubowski, and Holt Mebane
Members from the Ocean Beach Kiwanis Melanie and Jim Nickel
CNH District Co-Chair and Hidden Valley Kiwanis Club member Dave Schmitt
And past Laurels for Leaders President and Kiwanis member Sean Puckett

President Leitner highlighted the Centennial Year Grant Funding that was issued by the Club and Foundation and included a $55,000 grant to the YMCA/Camp Marston facility as well as $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of San Diego. Tom Madeyski, Executive Director of the San Diego YMCA Camps spoke to the group and thanked them for their contribution which allowed the pool to be completely refurbished and upgraded. He was quick to point out that it was a full-circle project as the San Diego Kiwanis Club provided the initial funds which built the pool over 50-years ago.

Other grant recipients were recognized including the Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego ($20,000), the San Diego Food Bank ($20,000), STARPAL ($12,500) the San Diego Burn Institute ($4,150) and the New Children’s Museum ($3,000).

Mayor Faulconer joined the meeting to congratulate the Club on their 100th year Anniversary and thanked the organization for its many contribution to the San Diego community during its long existence. He was complimentary of the work done by Kiwanis International, but especially the San Diego Kiwanis Club and its long history of philanthropy and volunteer service to the people of the region.

The Club closed out the meeting with lively discussion and a touching “Thank You” video from Monarch School who wanted to express their gratitude to the Club for their many years of service to the school and its children.

Kids DO need Kiwanis!

Watch the live proclamation from our San Diego Mayor below!

SAY San Diego Reminds Us That Children Need Kiwanis!

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 19:36:01 GMT

The San Diego Kiwanis Club continued its streak of great meetings on August 18 as it welcomed guest speakers from SAY San Diego. President Judy Leitner rang the bell and after a patriotic song and sincere invocation for the nation – the meeting took off. Club Secretary and “Fun Chair” Karina Sousa offered this icebreaker to the group:

What is your favorite Quarantine Snack?

The answers were varied with Joe Sigurdson swearing by his fried egg sandwiches while others went for items like chips, popcorn, and pretzels. John Rush mentioned his favorite peanut butter pretzels from Trader Joe’s which also provides the tai chili lime cashews that Karina has been enjoying. And you can never go wrong with Costco who sells Pub Mix and the giant jalapeno and garlic olives that Glen Honig is fond of. The big take away was that no one was eating particularly healthy! We will need to schedule another virtual workout meeting if lockdown continues.

President Leitner moved the agenda into the fines and Bill’s Bucks portion of the day and immediately called out Club member Steve Morris. Steve recently got engaged and did not tell anyone! Steve graciously took his punishment and contributed his cash.

The group was saddened to hear that longtime Kiwanian and San Diegan restaurant owner, John Pernicano had passed away due to cancer complications. Mark McDonald, Cal-Nev-Ha District of Kiwanis Executive Director remembered him fondly saying:

“John was full of life; he would come to the Downtown Club and every one of those people knew him. He would come down often and bring his squeeze box (accordion) and a tuba player and play music. It was all those little things … you just laughed, just loved it. He was famous for his fundraisers at his restaurant. He would say, ‘I’ll sell the beverages at the bar, you can have all the pasta you want. I will donate the pasta.’”

He will be missed.

SAY San Diego took over the screen to share about their organization and speaker Lizzy Hurd’s focus at the organization and its partnerships and services which address the comprehensive needs of the entire individual or family rather than focusing on one symptom or problem. She is a community organizer for their project which is the North City Prevention Coalition (NCPC) which is designed to program is designed to help prevent youth alcohol and other drug use.

After her presentation she took questions from the group which included:

Q: Does income level relate in any way to overdose deaths? Unfortunately, the answer was that opioid related deaths are associated with living in poverty. A stunning statistic showed that people who are living in poverty were almost 2 times more likely to have an opioid related death.

Judge Vic Bianchini asked if Narcan (an opioid overdose reversal medication) has a shelf life and was happy to find it can be used for three years after the date of issue.

The meeting wrapped up and adjourned at 1:30 with everyone looking forward to the September 1st meeting with Mayor Kevin Faulconer.

View the full video of the meeting below!

August Is HERE! Check Out Our Events and MAKE YOUR PLANS!

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 20:33:13 GMT

The San Diego Kiwanis Club welcomed August with a packed house for the first Tuesday meeting. President Judy Leitner rang the bell and welcomed long time club member Shaun McCardle gave a touching invocation that left the group grounded and ready for a great meeting. Jay Jeffcoat was back to lead the opening song after a regrettable absence at the previous meeting and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” never sounded so good!

Guests in attendance included Natalia Armenta from High Tech High School’s Media Arts Environmental Club who joined the meeting to check out the Club before their group joined us for a joint beach clean-up project on Saturday, August 22^nd. Anne Usher from The Pew Charitable Trusts was also a first-time visitor who is new to San Diego and passionate about the luncheon’s subject matter.

Secretary Karina Sousa started the Meet & Greet portion of the day with the question “What habits have you picked up in Quarantine, and the answers were interesting. Gardening seemed to rule the room with many Club members admitting they spend a lot of time at Home Depot while some felt their personal routines had changed dramatically. Karina herself is an early riser that now finds it hard to get out of bed and Sally Hazzard has organized her house and belongs…. several times! Everyone is keeping busy, but we are looking forward to meeting again in person!

Fines and Happy Dollars went quickly with donations flying in. Despite the fees raised at luncheons the Club is still financially strong due to donations received throughout the year – most of them during COVID. Kiwanis Cares!

The speaker for the day, was introduced and Club member Carl Nettleton took control of the screen to share about OpenOceans Global and what they are doing to solve the Ocean’s plastic crisis. The information was fascinating and gave a global overview of just what is happening to our oceans, rivers, and water ways due to our reliance on plastics. Everyone enjoyed the presentation, and many stayed after to quiz Carl with questions.

The Club had a few minutes to talk about upcoming events with the Tuesday Trivia Nights figuring largely into the mix. Everyone is invited to attend and there is the ultimate Club Prize for winning – bragging rights.

The meeting adjourned at 12:31.

Join us on September 1^st when we welcome Mayor Kevin Faluconer!

July 21st San Diego Kiwanis Club Annual Meeting and Guest Speaker Dan McAllister!

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 17:56:57 GMT

The San Diego Kiwanis Club kicked of its Annual Meeting with Vice-President Mike Boland taking over the reins from President Judy Leitner who called in to support. The bell was rung promptly at noon and Club members recited the pledge of allegiance and were then ready for the song. Unfortunately, member and avid Padres fan Jay Jeffcoat had been taped to sing “Take me Out to the Ball Game” but had technical difficulties and couldn’t dial in.

VP Boland welcomed guests which included Lt. Governor of Division 11, Gary Trieschman who brought the Club up to date on District activities and the rescheduled District Convention. Secretary Karina Sousa went over our July birthdays and we gave a shout out to those celebrating milestones:

7/6 – Charlie Coleman

7/8 – Danny Williams

7/9 – June Prewitt

7/20 – Chuck Day

7/29 – Rick Webster

The Fines and Bill’s Bucks portion of the day melded into one as members gave donations and shared their happy and/or challenging news. Karina Sousa offered up $10 for her parents 36th wedding anniversary with Mike Boland contributing $20 for his 20th wedding anniversary. Gordon Boerner gave “just because” and other members followed suit.

It was time for the Annual Meeting of the Kiwanis Club of San Diego and Secretary Sousa officiated over the official business portion of the agenda. Members had been

Members had been notified in advance and quickly adopted and voted unanimously to approve the following agenda and slate.

I. CALL TO ORDER/DETERMINATION THAT A QUORUM IS PRESENT

II. APPROVAL OF ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES OF JULY 16, 2019

III. ELECTION OF 2020/2021 CLUB OFFICERS

President, Mike Boland

Immediate Past President, Judy Leitner

Vice President, Susan Day

Club Secretary, Gary Knight

Club Treasurer, Ryan Callan

Class of 2021: Alexandra Kritchevsky, Heather Robinson

Class of 2022: Sally Hazzard, Karina Sousa

Class of 2023: Glen Honig, Brian Krause

V. ADJOURNMENT

After the business meeting it was time for the main event when we welcomed San Diego County Treasurer -Tax Collector and former Club member Dan McAllister.

Dan gave us some great stats and insights into trends and developments in a strange year. He reminded the group that his job is to collect monies due to the County so that is available when the initiatives it was intended for are ready for payment. Not surprisingly education is the number one receiver of assessed funds.

The Club had a few minutes to talk about upcoming events with the Tuesday Trivia Nights figuring largely into the mix. Everyone is invited to attend and there are great prizes, in addition to the ultimate Club Prize – bragging rights.

The meeting adjourned at 12:33.

Join us on September 1st when we welcome Mayor Kevin Faluconer!

7/7 July Bring Heat and Happiness to Club Members!

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 22:38:24 GMT

The San Diego Kiwanis Club started July with a bang at the first Tuesday luncheon with President Judy Leitner ringing the bell promptly at noon. Club Secretary Karina Sousa led the pledge and Foundation Immediate Past President Justin Frisco gave a moving eulogy that set just the right tone.

After a quick review of ZOOM etiquette Judy welcomed guests beginning with former member and long-time Kiwanian Chuck Mulroy greeting the group and giving a brief update of what he had been up to. Nostalgic stories abound when long time members June Prewitt and John Rush weighed in with their own happenings. June had a birthday coming up and pledged over $100 to the Club and Foundation in honor of the milestone.

Guest Anthony Gamino was present, and as he introduced himself, he told us why he was interested in joining the Club. He seems to have a heart for volunteering and his membership will be active soon!

There were many members who had not remembered to wear their pin or badge and the fines were handed out liberally and even President Leitner had to submit cash for her pin oversight. While fines were being discussed the “Bill’s Bucks” portion of the day took over and guests and members contributed money to tell about life items that made them happy, sad or both. It was a welcome surprise to find Justin Frisco had brought back a gift (Delicious wine) from his recent vacation and he gave it up for the highest bidder…who ended up being Chuck Mulroy – who bought it in honor of Birthday Girl June Prewitt. Thank you, Justin, and congrats to June!

JULY BIRTHDAYS:

o 7/6 – Charlie Coleman

o 7/8 – Danny Williams

o 7/9 – June Prewitt

o 7/20 – Chuck Day

o 7/29 – Rick Webster

Patrick Hall from Kiwanis International attended to give an update on the Kiwanis Children’s Fund and the good work it does globally. We were excited to hear the San Diego Kiwanis Club is in the top 2% of giving for the organization! For the Kiwanis family, the Children's Fund is a way of reaching children through grants, scholarship programs and Kiwanis youth programs.

Kiwanis Children's Fund

The San Diego Kiwanis Club Foundation held its annual meeting with President Jim Floros briefing the Club on what the Foundation had done over the last year. He reminded the audience that the Foundation gives away thousands of dollars in scholarships and grants each year to local, community-based non-profits and organizations. He welcomed Tim Callan from Callan Capital to update the Club on the investments and financial planning that drives the fund. Mr. Callan shared market update that were especially timely considering COVID-19 hits on the Stock Market and ended with a report that the Foundation has over five million dollars in the fund as of 7/7/2020.

The meeting closed with reminders about upcoming events including the wildly popular trivia night on Tuesday, July 14^th. Will you be there?

San Diego Kiwanis June 2020 Review.pdf

Watch the full video of the meeting below!

San Diego Kiwanis Club Notice of Annual Meeting on July 21, 2020

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 19:00:00 GMT

San Diego Kiwanis Club Notice of Annual Meeting

This Annual Meeting will include the Election of 2020/2021 Club Officer and the Class of 2023 Club Board of Directors, as well as the election of the San Diego Kiwanis Club Foundation 2020/2021 Board of Trustees.

Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Time: Noon, or as soon thereafter as the meeting is called to order

Location: ONLINE/VIRTUAL MEETING

Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2020

By: Karina Sousa, Club Secretary

Annual Meeting of the General Membership of the

San Diego Kiwanis Club

July 21, 2020

Agenda

I. CALL TO ORDER/DETERMINATION THAT A QUORUM IS PRESENT

II. APPROVAL OF ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES OF JULY 16, 2019

III. ELECTION OF 2020/2021 CLUB OFFICERS AND THE CLASS OF 2023 CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mike Boland, President

Judy Leitner, Immediate Past President

Susan Day, Vice President

Gary Knight, Club Secretary

Ryan Callan, Club Treasurer

2021 Alexandra Kritchevsky, Heather Robinson

2022 Sally Hazzard, Karina Sousa

2023 Glen Honig, Brian Krause

V. ADJOURNMENT

ATTACHMENTS:

July 21, 2020 Kiwanis Club of San Diego Annual Meeting Agenda

July 16, 2019 Kiwanis Club of San Diego Annual Meeting Minutes

6/16/20 - Bill Toone from ECOLIFE Conservation Joins us to Talk About Gorillas!

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 00:04:54 GMT

President Judy Leitner rang the bell at noon and the festivities started. Shaun McArdle led the pledge, followed by the invocation and then it was time to talk to attendees.

President Leitner welcomed guest Sue Varga from the Balboa Park Conservancy as well as Nancy McArdle, Shaun’s daughter, and Tim Rice from SDSU. June Birthdays brought on a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday for David Jay, Jennifer Lim, Eldon Thompson, Ryan Callan, and Justin Frisco.

Ms. Leitner asked Alexandra Kritchevsky from the New Children’s Museum to share their ongoing efforts to serve children. Downtown resident and Club member Jay Jeffcoat remarked that he walked his dog Buddy by the museum every day and that the Kiwanis Club Signage for their donation needed refurbishing. Before anyone could comment he also offered to pay for a new one! Thanks Jay!

Brian Krause introduced Tim Rice from SDSU who gave an update on the progress of the stadium site and ongoing work at San Diego State University. His slide show was informative and gave a timeline for when construction would begin and end.

Club member Carl Nettleton introduced the main speaker of the day, Bill Toone from ECOLIFE Conservation who with his position at the San Diego Zoo, traveled extensively and ultimately worked in over 30 countries including Papua New Guinea, Borneo, Paraguay, Cameroon, and Madagascar. He worked with animal species from the birds of paradise, iguanas, Chacoan peccaries, giant armadillos, elephants, and gorillas.

Bill shared some of his lesser known stories themed around Gorillas, including the time he accompanied Joan Embry and a juvenile gorilla to meet Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show! The meeting adjourned at 1:30 with some staying on to socialize and ask Bill questions.

Please join us for our virtual Club meetings on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month at noon!

Watch Bill Toone in action below!

6/2/20 - Let there be CHEESE!

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 19:43:07 GMT

The San Diego Kiwanis Club celebrated yet another FIRST as it hosted a VIRTUAL Online Cheese Tasting for the first meeting of the month. Club members and guests who signed up before the event were able to secure a specially made cheese plate from Vennissimo Cheese. The self-titled San Diego “Home of Cheese” put together 35 cheese plates for Club members who picked them up ahead of the Tuesday meeting!

President Judy Leitner welcomed the group with the ringing of the bell and led the pledge of allegiance. The Club moved through the invocation and songs with obvious enthusiasm and anticipation of the upcoming presentation. There were numerous guests including Brittany Beisner, June Frost, Joyce Gattas, Emily Krause, Sue Varga, Laura Schumache and Theo Shreve-Russell who dialed in from Orange County!

The Club once again shared their ups and down during “Bill’s Bucks” and raised over $200 for the Club. We have 5 birthdays in June:

6/7 - David Jay

6/11 - Jennifer Lim

6/12 - Eldon Thompson

6/13 - Ryan Callan

6/18 - Justin Frisco

Club Member Monica Ball gave an update on her organization UPLIFT and how they were faring during COVID-19 and everyone was happy to hear about the positives as the organization serves a very vulnerable population of San Diego.

Finally, the big moment had arrived and President Leitner welcomed Rob Graff, also known as “RobbyG Professor McCheese” to walk the group through the selections that had been prepared. The plate featured four cheeses with various accoutrements including fruit, crackers, nuts, and herbs. The professor circled the plate and highlighted all the tastings and pairings available that day and gave a detailed explanation, history, and best practices for tasting.

It was heaven! Although the Club was reticent to quit all things must come to and end and the meeting adjourned at 1:30. We are looking forward to welcoming Bill Toone from ECOLIFE Conservation on June 16^th!

5/19/20 - Fitness Together for the May 19th Club Luncheon!

Wed, 20 May 2020 19:01:07 GMT

The San Diego Kiwanis Club finished off May with a great meeting and an eye toward wellness. Club President Judy Leitner welcomed everyone on time and went straight into the Pledge of Allegiance. Club Secretary Karina Sousa shared a meaningful invocation that was especially timely and fitting for our current world.

The Club participated in a quick refresher on ZOOM etiquette and welcomed guests to the meeting including Christy Boland, who IS related to Mike, and Joanna Luz from the Point Loma Kiwanis Club. Mr. Boland highlighted Club members Greg Maginn from Cal State Games and Alexandra Kritchevsky from the New Children’s Museum who were joining for the first time since the quarantine hit.

Bill’s Bucks raised over $300 dollars as club members put in donations for various reasons including renewed work opportunities and small blessings brought by current circumstances. Secretary Sousa shared Club Tidings from 1995 and there were some surprising names and facts!

Mike welcomed special presenter Isabel Lorimer who is the Director of Community Fitness for Fitness Together Rancho Bernardo. Isabel went through some basic wellness facts and best practices and then asked everyone to get out of their chairs. She led the group through general stretching and breathing exercises for all levels of movement and demonstrated how they should look and feel for participants. After 20 minutes of exercise she took questions and agreed to send the stretches and other suggestions to the Club for future use.

The meeting adjourned at 1:30. Please joins us on June 2^nd for a Virtual Cheese Tasting from Venissimo Cheese!

5/5/20 - Cinco de Mayo Festivities for the FIRST Meeting of May!

Wed, 06 May 2020 03:32:45 GMT

The San Diego Kiwanis Club kept the momentum on a roll with another great Virtual Luncheon Meeting on Tuesday, May 5^th. The Cinco De Mayo vibes were flowing with several members featuring themed video backgrounds and vibrant regional clothing! President Judy Leitner welcomed guests with the ringing of the bell and Jay Jeffcoat led the pledge of allegiance. Susan Day focused the meeting with an invocation and the introductions began!

President Leitner welcomed members guests Lauren Welch from Urban Corp as well as Jarabe Mexicana lead singer Gustavo Alcoser. Club members were disappointed they were unable to proceed with the annual Balboa Park Cinco De Mayo celebration as planned but were grateful that Gustavo was online to make sure we had a portion of the concert. Birthdays were featured with members Karina Sousa, Mark McDonald and Eric Wever all celebrating in the month of May.

Bill’s Bucks always takes place mid-meeting and this time was no exception. During this portion of the meeting, members can update the group on current events in their lives as well as work and community updates while making a contribution to the general fund. Did you know you can donate to the Club at ANY time? It is true! Just visit the SD Kiwanis website and press the “DONATIONS” link.

President Leitner announced the winner of the best Cinco De Mayo themed Zoom window and Karina Sousa took home the big prize. Everyone looked great but she stood out!

Doug Frost shared some “Tidings” news from the past – though some things have not changed!

David Brown from the San Diego Sherriff’s Department updated the group on current law enforcement efforts during COVID-19 and how the pandemic has changed many of their day-to-day practices. He shared statistics and information on where to go for community resources. After a question and answer session Judy Leitner thanked Mr. Brown for his time and prepped to close the meeting. Before everyone left, she shared that today’s meeting was in Memoriam for long time Club member Ron Monroe.

Check the Kiwanis calendar for upcoming events and we hope to see you soon!

1/21/20 - Great Club Luncheon!

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 19:04:58 GMT

You missed a great Club Meeting on Tuesday, January 21st! We welcomed an interclub from the Anaheim Kiwanis Club, heard from Aztec Marching Drum Line Students and accepted fines and Happy Dollars from Club Members. Join us on Tuesday, February 4th as we welcome and honor local law enforcement professionals. Aren't a member yet? Join us for a meeting - the first luncheon is on us!

7/16/19 San Diego Kiwanis Club Minutes of Annual Meeting

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 22:01:54 GMT

Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the General Membership of the

San Diego Kiwanis Club

July 16, 2019

I. CALL TO ORDER/DETERMINATION THAT A QUORUM IS PRESENT

The meeting was called to order at 12:34 p.m. by Secretary Karina Sousa.

A quorum of members was determined to be present.

II. APPROVAL OF ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 18, 2018

A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the May 18,2018 Annual Meeting as submitted, which passed unanimously.

III. ELECTION OF 2019/2020 CLUB OFFICERS AND THE CLASS OF 2022 CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTOR – Secretary Sousa

The following Members, having been nominated by the Nominating Committee and in accordance with the Club Bylaws, were elected unanimously by the Members present, following a motion and second, to serve as the Officers of the Club, for 2019-2020:

Judy Leitner, President

Brian Krause, Immediate Past President

Mike Boland, Vice President

Karina Sousa, Club Secretary

Ryan Callan, Club Treasurer

2020 Susan Day, Rick Webster

2021 Joe Sigurdson, Jennifer Lim

2022 Monica Ball

IV. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 12:39 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Karina Sousa, Kiwanis Club Secretary

ATTACHMENTS:

JULY 16, 2019 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES

MAY 18, 2018 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES

AUGUST 21, 2018 FOUNDATION SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES

KIWANIS IRS CHANGE FACT SHEET

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP OF THE SAN DIEGO KIWANIS CLUB FOUNDATION

DRAFT AMENDED & RESTATED BYLAWS

6/8/19 Annual Visit to Tijuana

Karina Sousa — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 15:30:00 GMT

Our International Children's Services Team took their Annual Trip to Tijuana on June 8th! The Kiwanians in attendance were John Rush, Conny Jamison, Jennifer Lim, Clare Truong, and Karina Sousa. They visited Vida Joven and Hospital Infantil de Los Californias! It is always a pleasure to see the great work these two organizations do for children that are in great need! Both Beth Beall and Betty Jones are incredibly inspiring for all the work they do!

Here are some pictures to recap the trip:

6/4/19 Luncheon: Gompers Takeover + Callan Capital Update

Karina Sousa — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 19:00:00 GMT

On June 4th, we had a Kiwanis luncheon featuring our Gompers Preparatory Academy Key Club! These 10 vibrant students were accompanied by their incredible advisers! The students introduced themselves and then their new President began our Club Meeting! We heard from all of the seniors on where they plan to attend and what Key Club has meant to them. Everyone in attendance was inspired! We look forward to seeing all the great things these young adults will accomplish!

Tim Callan was also in the house updating us on our Foundation! We received lots of positive information on our portfolio which is always a plus! Tim also included some useful financial information for the Key Club students on how to avoid major debt!

9/18/18 Kiwanis Luncheon ~ Club Installation

Karina Sousa — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 19:00:00 GMT

On Tuesday, September 18th, we had our Club Installation! Thank you to the service of all the officers + directors for 2017-2018! You are appreciated by all!

Video Recap:

President Patrick started us off with his happy dollars and highlighted how delicious the filet was at the last luncheon. He also reflected on his term as President - congrats, Patrick! You did it while being a new dad!
Rick + Shari Webster are celebrating 33 years of marriage - congrats to our dynamic Kiwanis duo!
Floros had the 'Best Day of His Life' at the 8th Annual Blues Festival for the San Diego Food Bank!
Jeffcoat rolled in looking fly with his shades so we all thought he was VIP but in fact he was recovering from a successful eye surgery.
Judy thanked Patrick for his year and knows Krause will be a great second term as Presidente!
Monica is venturing to LA to see modular flyaway designer homes that come in $100k per resident which is dramatically under affordable housing.
Krause gloated in the SDSU win against Patrick's Sun Devils. He also shockingly remembered to wear his Kiwanis pin, mainly because he made Frisco wear a Kansas City pin due to a Pittsburgh loss on Sunday. We can all now refer to Krause as the "Old Block" thanks to his daughter Abigail!
Bauer put in a happy $100 because he missed his birthday meeting and it's the combo of his years in Kiwanis + life - we love you, Tom!
Lauren also loved the filet mignon from the meeting that everyone missed and sent her son off to college! She's also celebrating her second year with Kiwanis, thank you Lauren!
Karina thanked all those who reached out to her regarding her injury! She has a potential herniated disc so is extra sassy these days! Go easy on her!

Doug, our District Trustee, performed the Installation. Your Club Officers + Board of Directors for 2018-2019

Club Officers 2017-2018

Brian Krause, President
Patrick Maurer, Immediate Past President
Judy Leitner, Vice President
Karina Sousa, Secretary
Ryan Callan, Treasurer

Club Board of Directors

Class of 2019	Class of 2020	Class of 2021
David Gugerty	Tom Yahner	Susan Day
Jean Roesch	Monica Ball	Joe Sigurdson
Rick Webster	Suzie Zlaket	Peg Battersby

The President's gave out the following awards for incredible service to our club:

Distinguished Service Award

David Jay
Lauren Cook
Chris Pare
Carole Cuttita
Suzie Zlaket
Shaun McArdle

William A. Dunlap Fellowship

Chuck Day
Brian Krause

George F. Hixson Fellowship

Judy Leitner
Justin Frisco

We have lots of exciting events on the horizon for this upcoming Kiwanis year and you'll want to be sure to register to save your seat!

Date	Event	Link
9/22	ECOLIFE Gala	MORE INFO
9/28	LT. Gov Installation	MORE INFO
10/2	Luncheon	LUNCH RSVP
10/9	Evening Social	RSVP
10/16	Luncheon	LUNCH RSVP
10/30	Evening Service Project	MUST SIGN UP W/SD FOOD BANK

More information on upcoming events:

1st Tuesday: 10/2 - SoccerCity vs. SDSU West - $20 pre-register/$30 at the door

SoccerCity and SDSU Mission Valley: Two approaches to the same valuable, city-owned 166 acres in Mission Valley. In many ways, the approaches are remarkably same. They both include a stadium, housing, commercial development and parkland. But in other ways, they depart significantly from each other on key land-use details.

This November we as San Diegans will have the opportunity to decide the future of this important piece of land. Both SDSU West and Soccer City will present at our the luncheon followed by Q&A.

2nd Tuesday: 10/9 - Evening Social @ Maverick's Pacific Beach

Join us for our 2nd Tuesday Evening Social at Maverick's Pacific Beach! The summer never stops in San Diego, but the time the sun sets does, so let's take advantage of our last sunset while playing outdoor games! Some members will arrive as early as 4:30, others will arrive around 5, and we will stay till the 6:30/7 or until we feel like leaving!

3rd Tuesday: 10/16 - Jeff Figler: world expert on collectibles! $20 pre-register/$30 at the door

How did Jeff get started? His mother, Millie, never threw away his baseball cards or comic books.

INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY: As one of the only certified memorabilia appraisers in the country. Jeff will appraise any SINGLE item that Kiwanians and their guests bring to our luncheon! Be sure to pre-register!

5th Tuesday: 10/30 - Serve at the SD Food Bank + Social

Join us for our 5th Tuesday Evening Service Project at the San Diego Food Bank! We will serve in the evening shift from 6-8pm and will head to Duckfoot Brewing for a social to follow! You MUST register through the Food Bank website in order to serve! Need help? Contact Karina - karinakiwanis@gmail.com

8/21/18 Annual Meeting of the Foundation + Golf Social

Karina Sousa — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 19:00:00 GMT

On August 21st, we packed the house at Admiral Baker for our Annual Meeting of the Foundation! We were graced with the presence of Trina from Kiwanis as well as our dear member + District Secretary, Mark McDonald! Thank you for making the trip down from Arrowhead and participating in our golf tournament!

Vice President, Justin Frisco, led us in our Annual Meeting.

We ended the meeting early to get our golfers out on the course for the perfect day of golf! Here's a video recap of the luncheon + golf social! I think I had the most fun driving around the golf cart making sure everyone stayed hydrated! I look forward to getting more golfers out there for our next golf social - ahem Jim Floros you owe us!

8/15/18 Served Dinner at the Ronald McDonald House

Karina Sousa — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 01:00:41 GMT

We had another successful dinner at the Ronald McDonald House on August 15th! We served the very popular Tacos y Gorditas to over 175 people! The awesome Chuck Day sponsored a fabulous musician for us to enjoy for the evening which was wonderful!! SPECIAL thanks to Suzie for her years of service as Chair of our Dinner Committee! We look forward to the amazing Webster duo taking the helm for 18-19! Thank you to Kiwanians Suzie + Dick, Rick + Shari, David Jay + his lovely daughter, Judy, Norma, Conny, Fritz + Susan, new member Betsy + Karina for volunteering!

8/7 Kiwanis Luncheon ~ Callan Capital Update!

Karina Sousa — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 22:21:30 GMT

We had a fabulous luncheon at Admiral Baker on August 7, 2018! Our Kiwanians were dressed in the summer finest and we were able to admire some great legs (aka Eldon)!

The Southeastern Club came to REPRESENT with members, Harvey, Nathan, Gordon, Woody, Beverly, Stephanie and of course the fabulous Zoneice in attendance! We LOVE their energy!

We had a VERY special visitor in town, Ethel Merriman, who was a previous member of our Kiwanis Club! She now lives in Iowa and we miss dearly! It was so great to have her join us at lunch!

A potential new member came to check us out who has a long line of Kiwanis family history! He even brought the badge his grandfather had! We hope to see David again at an upcoming luncheon!

The club celebrated the August birthdays - the big one being Fritz turning the big 8-0 on 8/2! We'll celebrate Norma's birthday again on the 21st because it's NORMA MONTH!

Karina made sure to recognize Norma at the meeting for all her tireless hours working to keep our club alive. She is the main pillar holding up this club. She has been and still is extremely instrumental in the sustainability and growth of this club. There is no way we would still be functioning today if it weren't for Norma! She is always behind the scenes and never gets the recognition and appreciation she deserves so next time you see her, give her a big hug and tell her she's awesome!

Gary Knight, our newest member, was inducted today and shared lots of interesting information about our current state of technology. We look forward to getting to know Gary better and helping bring more technology into our community!

Last but not least, we had the smart, talented + good lookin' Callan brothers present the latest financials for our Foundation! If you missed the meeting and want to view their presentation, click here! (IF you have trouble accessing and still want a copy, just email Karina - karina@sousa.com)

Here is a VIDEO of the meeting recap for those that like the visuals :) ;

7/17 2nd Annual Visit with ECOLIFE

Karina Sousa — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 19:06:26 GMT

Last Tuesday, July 17th, we ventured up to Escondido for our offsite luncheon at the beautiful home of Bill Toone + Sunni! We were hosted by the amazing Anne Middleton + Connor Leone from Ecolife who made a fabulous spread and gave a wonderful tour!

This is our 2nd Annual visit with Ecolife and we look forward to the 3rd visit next summer with a special visit to their Aquaponics ranch!

Join us at ECOLIFE Conservation’s Annual Gala on September 22nd in Mission Valley! It is an event you surely don’t want to miss!

For more information about the incredible organization that is ECOLIFE, visit www.ecolifeconservation.org

Club members in attendance: Danny Williams, David Jay, Judy Leitner + friend Laura Schumacher, Fritz Warmbrodt, Doug Frost, Callan Family, Shaun McArdle with daughter Nancy, David Gugerty, Tom Bauer, Charlie Coleman, Justin Frisco + Karina Sousa!

If you have not attended a visit with ECOLIFE be sure to join us next summer 2019 with a special visit to the Aquaponics Ranch!!

6/5 Luncheon

Karina Sousa — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 21:00:00 GMT

On Tuesday, June 5th, we met for our 1st Tuesday luncheon! Our Gompers Preparatory Key Club came for their annual take-over. The GPA Key Club President Susan Fallas began the meeting, followed by the pledge led by Yahamel Felix, invocation from Lizzeth Serna + animated patriotic song from Victoria Orozco. Key Club Prez Fallas also updated us on all the amazing things GPA Key Club is doing!

In attendance from Gompers, we had Alondra Lopez (12th), Lizzeth Serna (12th), Amanda Siri (12th), Justin Xaysanasith (12th), Victoria Orozco (11th), Jazmine Quirino (11th), Susan Fallas (11th), Yahamel Felix (11th), Daliah Philpot (11th), Alejandro Garcia (11th), Senai Hagos (11th) Senait Hagos (10th). We also were happy to have the faculty advisers David Suh + Puneet Gill with us as well!

Our GPA Scholarship Recipients this year are: Lizzeth Serna, Alondra Lopez, Justin Xaysanasith + Amanda Siri!

We had two birthdays to celebrate this week ~ Ryan Callan

[Picture taken at the International Relief Teams house build 11/2017]

+ the first woman to be inducted into our Kiwanis Club, Zelda Ramsbothom

[who looks shockingly similar to Eldon Thompson]

Here's a video to recap parts of the luncheon:

UPCOMING EVENTS

Date	Event	Time	Location	Link	Misc
6/12	Networking Social	4:30-7pm	94^th Aero Squadron	RSVP	New this month: summer fun!
6/19	Club Luncheon	12-1:30pm	Admiral Baker	SAVE YOUR SEAT	ANNUAL MEETING OF THE FOUNDATION
6/21	RED SHOE DAY	6:30-9:30am	Downtown Front + A St	REGISTER	WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! Reply here if you can attend!
7/3	NO LUNCHEON
7/10	Networking Social	4:30-7pm	94^th Aero Squadron	RSVP	Special guest speaker – come to find out!
7/17	OFFSITE LUNCHEON	11:30am-1pm	Toone’s Casa Escondido	SAVE YOUR SEAT	Super fun offsite luncheon hosted by Bill + Sunni Toone!
7/26	Play 4 Say	5:00-7:30pm	Liberty Station	JOIN OUR TEAM	More info on this event here!
8/7	Club Luncheon	12-1:30pm	Admiral Baker	SAVE YOUR SEAT
8/15	Serve Dinner	5-8:00 pm	Ronald McDonald House	VOLUNTEER	Serve dinner for the fabulous families @ RMHSD!
8/21	Club Luncheon + Golf Social	12-TBD	Admiral Baker	MORE DETAILS TO COME!	Save the date for a fun golf fundraiser at Admiral Baker for our Kiwanis Club! Abbreviated lunch followed by golf!

5/19 Annual Club Meeting

Karina Sousa — Tue, 15 May 2018 21:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO KIWANIS CLUB

MINUTES FROM SPECIAL MEETING

MAY 15, 2018

12:00 Noon

The Annual Kiwanis Club Meeting was called to order on May 15th at 12:15 p.m. at Admiral Baker. President Maurer determined that a quorum of membership was present. The matters voted on and approved were as follows:

Approved Special Meeting Minutes of December 5, 2017
Approved Bylaw Amendments
Election of Officers and Directors for 2018-2019

President, Brian Krause

Immediate Past President, Patrick Maurer

Vice President, Judy Leitner

Treasurer, Ryan Callan

Secretary, Karina Sousa

Board of Directors

2019 David Gugerty, Jean Roesch. Rick Webster

2020 Tom Yahner, Monica Ball. Suzie Zlaket

2021 Susan Day, Joe Sigurdson, Peg Battersby

The meeting concluded with a great program from San Diego Therapeutic Horsemanship! San Diego Therapeutic Horsemanship, formerly San Diego Hippotherapy, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides therapeutic equine assisted services to children and adults with disabilities and special needs, and military veterans. To learn more about this great organization, visit their website!

4/3 Scholarship Luncheon

Karina Sousa — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 19:00:00 GMT

On April 3rd, we kicked off our annual Scholarship Luncheon at 12:00 p.m. at Admiral Baker! Art Stillwell did an amazing jobs telling us about each of our incredible scholars! We are inspired by each and every one of their achievements!

[FULL VIDEO PERFORMANCE ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE]

Upcoming Announcements:

THIS SATURDAY - 4/7 - Meet at Best Western 7 Seas @ 7:45 AM

This is an incredible trip to visit the organizations that we support in Tijuana. We are scheduled to visit Vida Joven (more info: https://vidajovendemexico.org/)

We will also visit with the family whose home we helped build and John Zawis, the project manager for the Fuentes Del Valle project.

THERE'S STILL TIME TO JOIN AND IT WILL BE A GREAT TRIP! CONTACT John Rush: john.rush@rrd.com

Also THIS SATURDAY - KIWANIS ONE DAY! 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Please come to Stein Family Farm at 1808 F Avenue in National City.

Invite your Key Club, Kiwins, Builder's Club, K-Kids, Aktion Club, and Circle K also!

Want to sponsor a garden bed? Let's donate $203 to sponsor.

Please bring appropriate tools, gloves and wear work clothes. Overalls are optional and earn you extra points.

NEXT TUESDAY - APRIL 10TH - 5:00 PM - SERVE DINNER @ USO (NO EVENING SOCIAL DUE TO SERVING DINNER)

Please come help us serve dinner to our military service women, men and their families at USO SD on Tuesday, April 10. They are located downtown at 303 A Street, Suite 100. Time of arrival is 5:00 P.M. There should be plenty of street parking at that time.

We begin serving at 6:00 P.M. and serve until the food runs out!! Tacos and Gorditas is the caterer and we are expecting 200 people.

Bring your aprons...or not and bring your happy faces!

APRIL 16TH - KIWANIS LUNCHEON - 12:00 PM - ADMIRAL BAKER

Program details to come!

MAY 1ST - KIWANIS LUNCHEON - 12:00 PM - ADMIRAL BAKER

Program details to come!

MAY 5TH - CINCO DE MAYO CONCERT IN THE PARK! + EVENING SOCIAL @ PANAMA 66

Looking for donations, volunteers, attendees, etc.! Contact Tom for more info!

WE WILL NOT HAVE OUR MONTHLY 2ND TUESDAY HAPPY HOUR - INSTEAD JOIN US AFTER THE CONCERT AT PANAMA 66 IN BALBOA PARK FOR SOME BEVERAGES!

RECAP FROM LAST YEAR - AN EVENT NOT TO MISS!

MAY 5TH - MIRACLE MILE OF QUARTERS - RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

MAY 5TH - GOVERNOR'S VISIT - DINNER

MAY 15TH - KIWANIS LUNCHEON *ANNUAL CLUB MEETING*

Election of officers, amendment of bylaws, and approval of last year's minutes!

1/16 Special Guest Day Luncheon

Karina Sousa — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 00:42:02 GMT

2018 started off as a success with our first luncheon of the new year! Tom Bauer kicked us off with a wonderful invocation.

followed by a patriotic song led by Darren Norton

We had quite a few special guests that we welcomed with open arms!

Maura from Children's Hospital of the Californias

Guests from New Children’s Museum - Erin + Megan Guests Jim + Karen Newest member Mike Boland! Bonita Kiwanis Bonita + Chula Vista Kiwanis! Prez Maurer reflecting on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day We had lots of happy people in attendance giving some bucks for Bill!

We presented the San Diego Food Bank with a check for $4,500 today. The CEO, our dear Jim Floros, gave us a quick update on all the incredible things going on with the Food Bank! We also presented a check to the Laurels for Leaders crew! Don't miss the Laurels for Leaders luncheon on February 21st at SDSU! Our Chairman of the Day was Carl Nettleton who introduced our speaker, Andy Carey Andy updated us on the border relations with Mexico. The program video ended up being too long to post to Youtube but if you're interested, contact karina@sousa.com!

Andy Carey was named Executive Director of the U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership (BPP) in September 2008. The BPP is a binational membership organization that strengthens individuals and institutions that serve border communities so that they can achieve their individual missions in the region. BPP works to grow community philanthropy, leadership and cross-border collaboration in order to increase the human and financial capital needed to address the complex issues facing the region. Since 2008, the BPP has grown to nearly 300 institutional members from across the U.S. and Mexico, training hundreds of civic leaders and dispersing over $150,000 in technical assistance. Additionally BPP has engaged numerous national and international agencies to educate them about the actual realities and assets of the border region. He also serves as Adjunct Faculty member in the University of San Diego’s School on Leadership and Education Sciences, where he teaches a graduate level course in binational nonprofit management. Prior to joining the BPP, Andy served for 15 years at Kiwanis International. Andy served as a member of the Executive Management Team, and was responsible for leading growth initiatives throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the South Pacific and led Kiwanis’ Worldwide Service Project initiative in Latin America to virtually eliminate Iodine Deficiency Disorders. He completed his baccalaureate degree in Political Science and Foreign Language, and his master’s degree in Latin American Studies at Purdue University. Andy is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. In his community, Andy was appointed Commissioner of the Independent Districting Commission to form electoral districts to elect City Council representatives in Escondido, CA. Andy also serves on the advisory board of St. Mary Catholic School.

More information on the Border Philanthropy Partnership here!

Upcoming Events

THIS FRIDAY – January 19^th – 2018 Drive Out Hunger Golf Classic at Camp Pendleton! Spaces still available!

January 27^th – Boys to Men – 1 Wave Challenge & Beach Run – looking for participants!

January 30^th – Kiwanis Night Out – Location TBD (Looking to confirm a visit to our 2017 CWIP Recipient – New Children’s Museum – Community Gallery – More info to come!)

January 31^st – Club + Foundation Board Meetings – 7am (Club) / 8am (Foundation) – Burn Institute

February 3^rd – Burn Institute – Burn Run/Walk 5k– looking for participants!

February 6^th – Club Luncheon – Rob Hutsel, President/CEO of SD River Park Foundation will talk about Foundation's new facility along river in Mission Valley (CWIP GRANT recipient)

February 13^th – Networking Social: SPEED NETWORKING – Location TBD (Interested? Reply to this email)

February 14^th – Interclub: Harbor – 12:10 pm – Waffle House (2323 Midway)

February 21^st – LAURELS FOR LEADERS – 11:30 am – Conrad Prebys – REGISTER ONLINE!

More information on all of these events listed on our KIWANIS EVENTS PAGE!

12/5 Citizens Climate Lobby Luncheon

Karina Sousa — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 22:29:59 GMT

We had a PACKED house at our Kiwanis luncheon on December 5th at our new location, Admiral Baker with 42 in attendance! The power went out half way through the luncheon but that didn't slow us down!

Art Stillwell started us off with a invocation on the Golden Rule and led us in the song, You're A Grand Ol' Flag.

We knocked out our Special Meeting of the Membership. We confirmed we had a quorum of voting membership in good standing. We approved our minutes from our Annual Meeting of General Membership on September 19th. We elected our new 2nd Vice President, Fritz Warmbrodt and we elected Drue Jordan to serve in our Class of 2018 Club Board of Directors (to fill the vacancy for Brian Krause who is now VP).

Bill's Bucks

Judy Lietner came back from San Francisco for a clean energy conference and had a great time!

Tom Bauer - reminded us there's only 5 more weeks until LAURELS FOR LEADERS - website up and running - laurelsforleaders.org

Joe Sigurdson - 60 boys to men weekend - spent saturday working with adaptive surf community - had competition in la jolla shores - complimented on working with the challenged athletes

Fritz Warmbrodt - salads are wonderful but wants our Prez to negotiate forgetting a salad and going for dessert instead!

Jim Floros - 2 meetings in a row, he gets to see his twin brother, Eldon Floros

Suzie Zlaket - happy to say that Monarch School had their volunteer appreciation event and our Club Foundation was awarded Community Partner for 2017! Suzie thanked her loyal committee - especially Judy who got us involved with Monarch over 17 years ago. We started with only 50 and now we are up to 200! The Dinner Committee will be serving over 600 people through August 2018!

Ryan Callan - gave us a recap about the awesome experience he had at the house build with his boys! Who ended up on the roof at one point, which Heidi Callan was SUPER thrilled about! ;) He thanks the SD Kiwanis Club Foundation for their financial support of the International Relief Teams. They crossed the boarder at 7am and 12 hours later, they had build a beautiful home for a single mom living with 2 little kids! Great work team!

Shaun McArdle - thankful for being able to ring the bells with the Salvation Army! He commented that they put on QUITE the show! You missed out if you didn't get to see his bell-ringing dance!

Carl Nettleton - apologize for NOT being in Tijuana on Saturday with IRT but - no happy wife = no happy life! He was able to see Justin Frisco on the golf course and said do not bet on him since he's a great player!

Danny Williams - very impressed that Joe Sigurdson is 5 days into December and hasn't abandoned his Movember mustache and facial hair!

David Jay - $5 preemptive THANK YOU to all the volunteers for the Rady Children's Hospital Radiothon next WEDNESDAY + THURSDAY! Thankful one of the kids that is going to be on the air has an incredible story about surviving 2 brain tumor treatments! More info - https://www.radyfoundation.org/radiothon

Charlie Coleman - Served over 1400 people at the Downtown Civic Center on Thanksgiving!

Susan Day - tomorrow night the Burn Institute has their big Winter Faire and Santa is coming!! 500 Burn Survivors and their families are invited to partake in this winter wonderland!

Justin Frisco - reminded us to mark your calendars for our annual Golf Tournament on January 19, 2018! All proceeds to benefit the San Diego Food Bank!

David Gugerty - his daughter wasn't able to go to work because of the fires in Ventura - she lives in Simi Valley!

Heather Robinson - participating in many events since it was Diabetes Month! She also got an early Christmas present -- a NEW PUPPY! Who is tearing up the house!

Patrick Maurer - set up his place for Christmas for Sydney and is loving watching her reaction to everything! He is loving every moment of her discovering life, but also glad she's not completely mobile, yet!

Our Chairman of the Day, Jay Jeffcoat, gave a fabulous introduction from our speaker who is a fellow El Centro resident, Carl Yaeker.

He retired 3 years ago from being an attorney, and in the process took a class on climate change at UCSD Scripps Institute of Oceanography. He was not a do-er at the time but couldn't sit idly as he watched the direction of climate change. Or how Carl put it, his wife was sick of him yelling at the TV! He discovered the Citizens Climate Lobby - which lobbies the US Congress politely with preparation and the idea of establishing relationship, all without any funding. This group consists of all volunteers! In a nutshell:

We exist to create the political will for climate solutions by enabling individual breakthroughs in the exercise of personal and political power.

Carl discussed that many people are concerned about climate change, but feel they would never talk about it with anyone because it may start a political argument or is uncomfortable, etc.

He also commented that many people are worried because of the growing number of weather events. Carl said that Miami is spending $500 million to reset the storm drains and raise the most important surface streets. During King Tide on a sunny day, the water comes up 3-4 feet from the storm drains!

Carl told us the most significant 4 things that he learned in his climate change class:

It's real
It's us
It's bad
But we can fix it

Carl stated there great location organizations and state organizations that are on board, the big exception is US Congress. He presented the suggestions their organization has to help address these issues. To learn more, visit citizensclimatelobby.org

12/2 International Relief Teams Tijuana House Build!

Karina Sousa — Sat, 02 Dec 2017 15:00:00 GMT

Our Kiwanians, Brian Krause and Ryan Callan, along with the entire Callan clan, headed down to Mexico on Saturday, December 2nd. Arriving to Mexico at 7am, they worked diligently for 12 hours and successfully completed a house for a single mother and her young children. To be able to give the keys to a family so deserving after one day of work is an experience like none other! We look forward to traveling to Tijuana again next year!

Special thanks to Brian Krause for organizing the event and to the International Children's Services Committee for recommending this amazing organization to our Foundation for support!

12/1 Bill Gibbs Kettle Bell Challenge

Karina Sousa — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 22:19:19 GMT

In memory of San Diego aviation pioneer Bill Gibbs, The Salvation Army is partnering with organizations he was involved with for the first annual San Diego Bill Gibbs Memorial Red Kettle Day.

On Friday, December 1, The Kiwanis Club of San Diego, La Jolla Presbyterian Church and The Salvation Army Metropolitan Advisory Board will ring bells at Red Kettles to honor Gibbs’ memory.

A San Diego aviator, Bill Gibbs was a well-known contributor to many San Diego non-profits and organizations.

Gibbs participated on The Salvation Army’s San Diego Metropolitan Advisory Board from 1989 until his death on October 29, 2016. He was heavily involved with The Salvation Army’s Door of Hope campus for women and children and served on the Property and Program committees of the board.

“Bill made such a big impact to us and to all of San Diego,” says Major Darren Norton of The Salvation Army. “We wanted to continue his legacy of changing lives by raising money at Salvation Army Red Kettles in his honor. We are partnering with organizations in which he made a huge impact, and we hope this will be the first of many years.”

While Bill Gibbs Memorial Red Kettle Day will be celebrated across San Diego, these organizations will be ringing at the following locations on Friday, December 1:

Kiwanis Club of San Diego: Ralphs Grocery Store Downtown San Diego

THANK YOU TO ALL THE MEMBERS WHO SERVED LAST FRIDAY!

Rick & Shari Webster + Carole Cuttita

Jay Jeffcoat + Norma Trost

David Jay + Peg Battersby

Heather Robinson + Lauren Cook

David Gugerty + Charlie Coleman

Monica Ball + Eric Wever

Tom Bauer + June Prewitt

Monica Ball + Darren Norton

8/31 Kiwanis Day at the Del Mar Racetrack

Karina Sousa — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 19:00:00 GMT

On Thursday, August 31st, Shaun McArdle, Ryan Callan, Eric Weaver, Tom Bauer, Heather Robinson, Karina Sousa + friend Marcos Gomez, Suzie Zlaket + hubby Dick Carlson took a trip to the Del Mar Racetrack!

We were also joined by previous member Miranda Bordson and her mother! It was a learning curve year figuring out the coordination of events, but we still managed to have a blast as always!

8/29 Kiwanis Night Out @ San Diego Food Bank

Karina Sousa — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 01:00:00 GMT

We had a blast as always at our 5th Tuesday Kiwanis Night Out service project at the San Diego Food Bank! We packed over 10,000 pounds of apples!

All our backs are aching that's for sure but we love doing good in our neighborhood!

Special thanks to all our members who came to represent - Doug Frost, Ryan Callan, Charlie Coleman, Heather Robinson, Patrick Maurer, Karina Sousa + Tom Yahner!

8/22 Evening Social in Crown Point Shores!

Karina Sousa — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 00:30:00 GMT

We gathered for our monthly Evening Social at our President's Casa in Crown Point!

We were equipped with Shaun's comfort case and lots of snacks. We had a lot of laughs as always and enjoyed the company of Tom Bauer, Danny Williams, Shaun McArdle and Heather Robinson! Looking forward to our next social on September 12th at 5:00 p.m. at Soda + Swine in Liberty Station!

8/16 Serving Dinner at the Ronald McDonald House

Karina Sousa — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 04:14:58 GMT

On August 16th, our Dinner Committee hosted their annual dinner at the Ronald McDonald House. The chair, Suzie Zlaket, always does an incredible job putting this on! For the first time at RMH, we had Tacos + Gorditas - which always does a FABULOUS job + the food is delicious!

With us at RMH, we had Judy Leitner, Norma Trost, Fritz + Susan Warmbrodt, Dave + Leone Wood, Conny Jamison, Lauren Cook, Heather Robinson + Karina Sousa!

We had lots of laughs as we dealt with dull knives, cried cutting onions, and fought over who could serve in the assembly line!

Not to mention we served over 150 meals to the families at the Ronald McDonald House and were graced by the presence of the CEO - Chuck Day! We presented our donation in the most appropriate place - the kitchen!

We love doing good in our neighborhood and look forward to serving again next year!

8/15 Club Luncheon - WELD (Women Encouraging Living Donation)

Karina Sousa — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 04:47:05 GMT

Another fabulous luncheon on the books! We met today August 15th at the Admiral Baker Golf Course.

We started off with a lovely invocation from Major Darren Norton followed by a song led by Suzie Zlaket - aka "Persida" today :)

We switched things up at the meeting and started with the incredible program from our speakers, Dina McDonald and Cheryl Ripp

We had a very special guest (for our Prez), Marcos Gomez, who donated the microphones that we have used at our luncheons all year! He also is the responsible for introducing us to these awesome speakers!

For Bill's bucks, we had some happy people in the house!

Eldon was happy to hear that Marian just got married - CONGRATS, Marian!

Heather needs lots of good vibes for her family issues. She also is still looking for attendees to join her JDRF Bring on the Blue Scavenger Hunt this Saturday starting at 12:00 p.m. at Coin-Op in North Park! More info here --

Eric was FINE FREE because he had not only his badge, but also his pin! Favorite new member!

Danny gave some inspirational words about the how great our Club and Foundation and all the behind the scenes hard work that's being done to make them both even better!

Judy informed us of this great deal for 62+ at Borrego National Park -- if interested, click here!

Brian announced he has complimentary tickets to the International Relief Teams Gala on September 9th - if you would like to attend, please contact Brian!

Justin was glad to be back where he got married - great choice of venue!

Dave was happy to be back with us after a terrible and traumatic vacation and we were so glad to see him at our meeting!

We auctioned off a PRICELESS ticket to the Padres game with non-other than Mr. Padres himself, Jay Jeffcoat! Danny was the lucky recipient so we look forward to a recap at the next meeting!

BEST part of the meeting was inducting our newest member, David Jay, who happened not only to be our representative from Rady Children's Hospital but he also was a previous Key Clubber himself! We look forward to great things from our newest awesome member!

Last but not least, we presented our "big" check to SDSU for the Cinco de Mayo Concert in the Park!

In case you missed the concert, here's the '2 minute short' that Judy referenced in the meeting!

UPCOMING KIWANIS EVENTS

Wednesday 8/16 - Serve Dinner @ Ronald McDonald House - 4:45 p.m. Contact: Suzie Zlaket

Tuesday 8/22 – Evening Social @ Crown Point Shores - 6:00 p.m. Contact: Karina Sousa

Tuesday 8/29 – Kiwanis Night Out @ SD Food Bank – 6:00 p.m. Contact: Karina Sousa **MUST REGISTER ONLINE**

Thursday 8/31 – Del Mar Kiwanis Day @ the Racetrack – 12:00 p.m. Contact: Karina Sousa

Tuesday 9/5 – Club Luncheon – Program: Holocaust Survivor Phil Pressel 12:00 p.m. – Renaissance Hotel

Be sure to Register on our EVENTS page! NEED HELP?? CONTACT KARINA!

8/1 Club Luncheon - New Children's Museum

Karina Sousa — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 19:00:00 GMT

We had a great luncheon on today August 1st at the Renaissance Hotel! We had guests visiting us from Sweetwater Kiwanis Club and our new friends from the New Children's Museum.

Tom Bauer kicked off the luncheon with a great invocation followed by My Country, 'Tis of Thee led by Doug Frost.

BIRTHDAYS

We celebrated quite a few birthdays the last few weeks and had two of our birthday boys in attendance - Chuck Day + Fritz Warmbrodt. Happy Birthday to our other Kiwanians, Carole, Rick + Jean!

BILL'S BUCKS

Jay was happy to report he's been to every Padres home game - and purchased some digs Downtown to accommodate!

Karina was happy to have gone to a game with Jay - the only way she'll go to a Padres game!

Doug made it back from the Kiwanis International Convention in France safely - and with a fiance! Congrats to Doug + June! Our Kiwanis power couple!

Judy was bummed that she missed the Bill Toone visit but happy to have her at the meeting!

Heather was happy to report they sold their RV but anxious to get a car back!

July was a great month - the highlight being our visit to Bill Toone's Casa which we look forward to making an annual luncheon so mark your calendar for Summer 2018!

CHECK PRESENTATION

The man of the hour, Chuck Day, our CWIP (Community-Wide Impact Project) Committee Chair came to present our $20,000 check to the New Children's Museum. This CWIP Committee vetted 20 proposals from organizations all over San Diego County but selected New Children's Museum as our recipient for 2018-2019!

PROGRAM: NEW CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

Representing the New Children's Museum, we were delighted to meet -

Judy Forrester

Executive Director/CEO

Specializing in non-profit structure and sustainability strategy, Judy Forrester has worked with a number of San Diego’s key non-profit agencies helping them build sustainable business models to support their work. Her twenty years of non-profit and community leadership, coupled with experience managing local philanthropy for Bank of America, helps Forrester bring proven best practices to organizations where she serves. In partnership with the boards of directors and the internal teams Forrester helps to build stronger, more sustainable organizations to better serve the San Diego community.

Forrester accepted the role as Interim Director of The New Children’s Museum in December of 2015 to assist the board and staff in launching and executing the museum’s new strategic plan. In June of 2016 she accepted a three year contract to serve as Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director to further advance the long term sustainability of the museum.

Prior to The New Children’s Museum, Forrester was contracted as Chief Executive Officer of USO San Diego for one year and assisted the board and staff in bringing financial stability to the organization.

From April 2010 to May of 2014 Forrester was Senior VP, San Diego Market Manager, Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs for Bank of America where she was responsible for managing Bank of America’s community strategy including government relations, community relations and corporate affairs. Additionally, she managed the bank’s charitable/ marketing/ sponsorship resources throughout the San Diego/Imperial Counties region..

From July 2005 until April 2010, Forrester served as President and CEO of LEAD San Diego, prior to LEAD, Forrester led the startup of the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation; she served as a senior officer on the transition team of the American Red Cross San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter during its crisis recovery and restructure and served for five years at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, first as Director of Social Service and Healthcare Policy – then later as Director of Corporate Relations.

Forrester is active in the San Diego community. She has served on the boards of LEAD San Diego, the San Diego Regional EDC Foundation, the Downtown San Diego Partnership, The San Diego Workforce Partnership Workforce Investment Board, the San Diego Regional Continuum of Care Board, the San Diego Regional Tourism Authority, the San Diego World Trade Center and the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation. She is active on the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee, and the CEO Roundtable. She is also a member of San Diego Downtown Rotary Club #33. She was recognized by the SD Business Journal as one of San Diego’s Women Who Mean Business and received recognition in 2012 as one of San Diego’s Metro Movers to Watch.

Tomoko Kuta

Deputy Museum Director

Tomoko Kuta, Deputy Museum Director at The New Children’s Museum, directs the content of the museum and develops the museum’s strategic vision. Hired in 2011, Tomoko is responsible for executing the museum’s exhibitions, studio program, arts education initiatives, community outreach, and the daily visitor experience. She has worked in museums and other non-profit organizations since 1992, working with artists, curators, educators, and other professionals to develop exhibitions, build permanent collections, design user-centered education programs, and train staff. As a leader, she emphasizes empowering her team to realize their potential and best serve audiences. Her projects have received funding from nationally-acclaimed agencies such as the National Endowment for the Arts. She is currently a co-chair for the Association of Children’s Museum’s annual conference and an arts commissioner with the city of Encinitas. Tomoko earned a BS from Cornell University and an MA from the University of Chicago

Amy Briere Gray

Education Manager

Amy Briere Gray, Education Manager, oversees the Arts Education department at The New Children’s Museum. Amy is a California-credentialed teacher with close to twenty years of experience working with educators, students, and families in art related venues. She joined the Museum in the fall of 2016, and since that time has worked with the Arts Education team to implement such programs as school visits, camps, fee-based classes, educator events and resources, and the new Community Gallery. As a manager and employee, Amy believes in being a team player and in collaborating with others as often as possible, an approach which has helped her to work closely with colleagues both inside and outside of the Museum and to create long-term professional relationships with a large number of educators and artists. She is currently on the board of the San Diego Chapter of the California Art Education Association (SD-CAEA), an associate member of the Balboa Park Educators Council (BPEC), and a full-time member of the Arts Education Resource Organization (AERO). Amy received a B.F.A. in Art History and Studio Art from Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY and a Master’s degree in Visual Arts Education from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.

We presented the check and then heard an update from Tomoko and Amy!

To view their Powerpoint Presentation - click here!

UPCOMING EVENTS

8/9 – Interclub w/ Southeastern - 7:15 a.m. - Jacobs Center - Contact: June

8/16 - Serve Dinner @ Ronald McDonald House - 4:45 p.m. - Contact: Suzie

8/19 - JDRF North Park Scavenger Hunt - 12:00 p.m. - Contact: Heather

8/29 - Kiwanis Night Out @ SD Food Bank - 6:00 p.m. - Contact: Karina

Check the Kiwanis calendar for any other upcoming events! Be sure to register online!

7/25 OFFSITE Luncheon at Toone's Casa in Escondido!

Karina Sousa — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 19:00:00 GMT

On July 25th, our club had an offsite luncheon at the beautiful home of Bill and Sunni Toone in Escondido!

In attendance from Kiwanis, we had Lauren Cook, Patrick Maurer, Shari Webster + Nephew, David Jay, Conny Jamison, Karina Sousa, Brian Krause + Kiddos, Charlie Coleman, David Gugerty, Tom Bauer, Heather Robinson + Jay Jeffcoast

They were incredible hosts that provided a fabulous spread of delicious home-grown food!

VP Maurer

Corn from their garden

Pickled Quail Eggs

Bill also gave us a tour of what they've been up to - sprinkled in with lots of stories of travels, adventures - and of course a breakdown of Aquaponics!

Aquaponics!

And the grand finale - spotting of our turtle friend!

The Toone's have graciously offered to host us every year for an annual luncheon and we are thrilled!

Join us at the ECOLIFE Gala on 11/4 -- https://www.501auctions.com/ecolife

7/11 Taste of Signature San Diego: South Beach Bar + Grill!

Karina Sousa — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 23:00:00 GMT

On the 2nd Tuesday of every month, our club has a social! As of recent, we've been trying all the signature spots in San Diego! Last month, we went to Rocky's Crown Pub in PB to see if they truly have the best burger - which we unanimously voted yes!

This month, we tasted to see if South Beach Bar + Grill has the best fish taco in SD! Charlie Coleman, Tom Bauer, Danny Williams, Shaun McArdle + Karina Sousa were all present and all enjoyed some tasty tacos and beverages by the beach!

6/27 Interclub with Chula Vista Kiwanis!

Karina Sousa — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 16:50:13 GMT

We had 7 of our fabulous Kiwanians - June Prewitt, Ricardo Sandoval, Tom Bauer, Doug Frost, Jean Roesch, Lauren Cook + Karina Sousa - visit the vibrant Chula Vista Kiwanis Club!

They had an awesome program about the up & coming Chula Vista brewery scene! We will definitely be planning a Kiwanis Night Out down there soon!

To get an idea of what we're talking about, check out this article!

6/22 Red Shoe Day

Karina Sousa — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 13:30:00 GMT

A few of your fellow Kiwanians were out at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday at the corner of Front + A Street, Downtown San Diego! With lots of energy, we raised quite a bit of money for the Ronald McDonald House of San Diego! To check out more info about Red Shoe Day, you can click here.

Here's a few pictures from the event! Special thanks to Tom Bauer, who not only picked up our supplies, but also dropped them off, and has been our die hard Red Shoe Day liason! We appreciate you, Tom!

And then of course our dynamic duo, Joe + Rick - you guys always know how to guilt, I mean get, people to donate!

Last but not least, we had Charlie + Fritz, representing Kiwanis with their awesome hats!

We would LOVE to have more people join us next year so we can really empty some pockets for such a great cause!

Their will be a Volunteer Celebration on July 10th at the Ronald McDonald House!

And be sure to stay tuned for next year! It's an awesome event, coming from experience!

6/20 ZOO Luncheon

Karina Sousa — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:00:00 GMT

On Tuesday, June 20th, our Kiwanis club met for our annual luncheon at the San Diego Zoo!

We had many beautiful guests in attendance!

John Wood brought his lovely wife, Leone

Fritz was accompanied by his beautiful wife, Susan

Shaun dressed in full zoo-keeper attire demanded his fabulous, Janet to please stand and say hello to all of our.

Always wonderful to see Jean who was accompanied by Steve Mather, the Pastor of the Coronado Community Church (and also told our President that he is a Rotarian but we welcome him anyway!)

Our Kiwanis power couple in the making, Rick + Shari Webster were in the house! Shari loves it when Rick gets fined for not having a badge or pin :)

We also had the 3 gorgeous gals from the Krause clan: Emily, Sophia + Abigal!

Major Darren Norton introduced his beautiful wife, Mary, to the crew! We almost didn't recognize him without uniform! Major decided to spend the start of his vacation at our club meeting!

And he blessed our meeting with a fantastic invocation, as always!

Then Suzie led us in the National Anthem!

We are celebrating two incredible ladies birthday's this month - Peg + Conny - and as a birthday gift, we didn't force them to wear any ridiculous birthday flair! :) Happy Birthday to all our June babies this month:

Eldon, Ryan, Jeff Blackman, Conny + Peg

(We celebrated Eldon + Ryan at our last meeting!)

As far as fines, our President graciously didn't fine for not having badges, given the plethora of excuses she received. However, we did fine for not having pins on. Be sure to have your pin for upcoming weeks or be prepared to be fined!

For Bill's bucks, we had a few happy people in the house!

Patrick was happy that they celebrated his grandparent's 70th anniversary and his new baby girl was able to meet lots of family!

Claire was thankful to be at the zoo with us! She also thanked us for supporting their annual STARPAL luncheon which raised over $150,000!

Brian put in $1 and shared that we had a blast at our evening social at Rocky's last week where we took over the entire place! And we collectively decided that Rocky's does in fact have the best burger in SD!

John was happy Bonnie wasn't there... BECAUSE she was conducting a webinar for early detection of breast cancer, that had over 850 registrants! Way to go, Bonnie!

Danny is celebrating his 40th birthday at Chris Joseph's digs - Little Italy Loading Dock - and we're all invited! Come celebrate our incoming Foundation President on July 8th at 6:00 p.m. - RSVP HERE!

Norma conducted our Annual Meeting - Agenda (can be accessed by clicking here) - Approved Minutes that we approved from last year (can be accessed by clicking here) + approved our 2020 Class of Trustees: Brian Krause, Karina Sousa, Charles (Chuck) Day

Carl was asked on the spot to be the Chairman of the Day - since it is tradition that he introduce our speaker, Bill Toone, as he has for our previous luncheons at the zoo - and he did a fabulous job as always!

Our beloved Bill Toone gave yet another impacting heartfelt presentation that we all enjoyed - going through his 3 heroes in his life stemming from his journey with the California Condor. This is Bill at a young boy

We love Bill so much that we are going to have our next luncheon on July 18th at his house to see everything that he's up to!

MORE DETAILS TO COME!!!!!!

Kiwanis San Diego News

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May 17, 2022 ~ City Heights Music School and Mariachi Victoria de San Diego

May 3rd Luncheon ~ Fantastic Time at Tom Ham's Lighthouse

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Skydiving Innovations on April 5, 2022!

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